Two of the four suspected kidnappers arrested in Ogun State, and one of their alleged colleagues were on Wednesday killed during a gun battle with policemen.

The suspects, who were apprehended at Ijebu Waterside and were being moved to the Command Headquarters in Abeokuta by the team, were said to have been caught in crossfire between policemen and their gang members who laid ambush between J4 and Abigi in a bid to rescue them.

It was gathered that the four members of the gang allegedly responsible for the kidnap of three persons, including the son of a Chief Imam on Sallah Day, were arrested after they came out of the creek where they had been hiding.

Although the Police succeeded in rescuing the victims on August 16 and arrested one of the suspects then, they were forced to retreat after some cops sustained injuries in the operation.

According to spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), detectives continued to trail the criminals who were hibernating in the creek and their efforts paid off Wednesday morning when four gang members came out.

“They came out probably to relocate to another place not knowing that they were being trailed. The police swooped on them and arrested them. Two cut to size guns, four live cartridges, a cylinder, one boat engine and assorted charms were recovered from them.

“While the arrested suspects were being taken to the command headquarters in Abeokuta by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), their other colleagues who have laid ambush for them between Abigi and J4 attacked the team with the view of freeing their arrested members.

“This resulted to cross firing between the gang and the police. At the end, two of the arrested suspects and one of the attackers were fatally injured. One pump action gun belonging to the attackers and three expended cartridges were recovered at the scene of the ambush while some of the attackers escaped with bullet injuries.

“The command hereby seizes this opportunity to appeal to members of the public, especially hospitals to report anybody seen with gunshot injury to the police in their area.” (The Nation)

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