The Ondo State Police Command has rescued two kidnapped victims and arrested three suspected kidnappers after a gun battle with the gang in a forest along the Ifira–Idoani axis in the Isua-Akoko area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, adding that the operation also led to the recovery of N1.5 millon suspected ransom money, while two of the arrested suspects sustained gunshot injuries.
The operation began on Friday, September 11, 2026, after the police received credible intelligence that suspected kidnappers hiding in the forest were planning to emerge from their hideout to collect ransom.
Acting on the information, operatives of the Isua Police Division, supported by personnel of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, and Agbe-Koya, launched a coordinated operation and took strategic positions along the suspected route.
Jimoh said that at about 11:30 pm, about four armed suspects emerged from the forest and opened fire after sighting the security operatives.
The operatives reportedly repelled the attack and rescued the two victims, identified as Owolabi Patrick and Asoto Dada, unhurt.
During the encounter, the security team recovered N1.5 million believed to have been brought for ransom payment, while the suspected kidnappers sustained gunshot injuries and fled into the thick forest.
However, following sustained surveillance and intelligence gathering, the suspects were sighted along Idoani Road at about 8:30 pm on Sunday, September 13.
The operatives moved in and arrested three of them, while two had gunshot wounds on their legs.
The suspects were identified as Abdullahi Abubakar, Ibrahim Abubakar and Oseni Abubakar, all residents of the Akunnu area.
The rescued victims later visited the police station and reportedly identified the three men as those who abducted them.
The police also said a Bajaj motorcycle earlier recovered by the command had been identified by the victims as being linked to the kidnapping operation.
The motorcycle has been retained as part of the ongoing investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, commended the personnel of the Isua Division, Amotekun and Agbe-Koya for their courage, professionalism and cooperation during the operation.
Ohagwu ordered the transfer of the case to the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Akure for discreet investigation, with a view to uncovering the wider network behind the crime and bringing other persons connected with the operation to justice.
The command said it would sustain intelligence-led operations aimed at denying kidnappers and other criminals access to forests and other hideouts across the state.