A suspected ransom collection has turned into a police ambush in Ondo State after security operatives stormed a forest hideout, rescued two kidnapped victims without injury, and recovered N1.5m allegedly brought to secure their release.
Three suspects were subsequently arrested in follow-up operations, while two of them sustained gunshot injuries, the Ondo State Police Command said on Tuesday.
The operation took place around the Ifira–Idoani axis in Akoko South-East Local Government Area where suspected kidnappers had reportedly gathered in a thick forest to collect ransom from the victims’ relatives.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said the breakthrough followed credible intelligence received by the police.
He said operatives from Isua Division, working alongside personnel of the Ondo State Security Network, Amotekun, and Agbe-Koya, mounted a coordinated rescue and ambush operation inside the forest.
According to Jimoh, the security team took strategic positions along the suspected route and monitored the area for several hours.
The suspected kidnappers eventually emerged at about 11:30pm on September 11.
“At about 2330 hours, the suspected kidnappers, numbering about four and armed with firearms, emerged from the forest,” Jimoh said.
He said the criminals opened fire after spotting the security personnel, prompting the operatives to return fire and move in to secure the captives.
“On sighting the security operatives, they opened fire, prompting the security team to tactically repel the attack and rescue the two victims, Mr Owolabi Patrick and Asoto Dada, unhurt,” he said.
The encounter also yielded N1.5m, which the police suspected was ransom money that had been brought to the forest for the victims’ release.
The fleeing gunmen reportedly escaped into the surrounding forest with gunshot injuries.
Victims identify three suspects
The rescue did not end the operation.
Police investigators continued to track the suspected kidnappers using intelligence gathered after the forest encounter. On September 13, at about 8:30 p.m., operatives reportedly sighted some of the suspects along Idoani Road.
The team moved swiftly to the location and arrested three men.
Jimoh identified them as Abdullahi Abubakar, Ibrahim Abubakar, and Oseni Abubakar, all residents of the Akunnu area.
Two of the suspects suffered gunshot wounds to their legs during the arrest, according to the police.
Following was a significant development when the rescued victims visited the police station and identified the three men as the people who allegedly abducted them.
“The two rescued victims subsequently came to the police station and positively identified the arrested suspects as their abductors,” Jimoh said.
The victims also identified a Bajaj motorcycle previously recovered by the police as being connected with the alleged criminal operation.
Forest hideouts under scrutiny
The operation highlights the importance of intelligence gathering in tackling kidnapping in forest corridors where criminals often exploit difficult terrain to conceal captives and conduct ransom negotiations.
In this case, intelligence allowed security personnel to anticipate the movement of the suspects rather than waiting for another abduction to occur.
The joint deployment of police officers, Amotekun personnel, and Agbe-Koya operatives also provided the manpower required to penetrate the forest and establish positions along the suspected ransom route.
The recovery of the money without payment to the kidnappers further disrupted the transaction, while the subsequent arrests gave investigators suspects whom the victims could directly identify.
The police said operations would continue across forested areas and other locations considered vulnerable to criminal activity.
Jimoh said the command would sustain intelligence-led operations aimed at denying kidnappers access to forest hideouts across the state.
The development also places attention on the need to secure the forest corridors linking communities such as Ifira, Idoani, and Akunnu, where difficult terrain can provide cover for criminal groups.
With three suspects now in custody and the victims available to assist investigators, the police have gained both physical evidence and firsthand accounts that could help unravel the wider network behind the abduction.
The command’s next challenge will be to establish whether the arrested men operated independently or belonged to a larger kidnapping syndicate active along the Ondo forest belt.
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