Kidnappers Made One Deadly Mistake… What Rescued Victims Revealed Will Shock You

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For Temiloluwa Faith, an Information Technology officer based in Edo State, the journey home for her annual leave was meant to mark the beginning of a peaceful break with her family. Instead, it turned into one of the most terrifying experiences of her life after armed kidnappers struck along the Ogbere section of the Sagamu-Benin Expressway.

Temiloluwa was travelling with a senior colleague from her workplace when gunmen launched an attack on multiple vehicles around 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 25. Within moments, what began as a routine journey descended into chaos.

Recounting the incident, she said the convoy of vehicles came under attack after gunshots rang out, causing several vehicles to collide.

“It was around 4pm and then we just heard a gunshot,” Temiloluwa recalled.

“There was a vehicle in front of us and one behind us. The three vehicles collided at the same time and I hit my head on the front seat. That was what removed my teeth,” she disclosed.

According to her, while the owner of the vehicle escaped through the driver’s side, she remained trapped because the door on her side could not be opened. Another passenger stayed behind to protect her despite the danger before the kidnappers eventually forced him out of the vehicle.

The attackers reportedly seized her valuables, including her wristwatch, bracelet and the cash she intended to use to purchase snacks before leading her and four other captives into a nearby forest.

The victims said they trekked for hours through thick vegetation under difficult conditions, walking barefoot across muddy paths and thorn-filled terrain while heavily armed men surrounded them.

“We trekked inside the thick bush for close to 4 hours at midnight. Barefooted, inside water, shuku-shuku (thorns) piercing our feet. We were moving in a single file, with them in the front, middle, and back. There was no way to run,” she recalled.

The attack affected several travellers, including Mrs. Blessing Nsofor, who was returning from Anambra State after burying her husband. During the ambush, she sustained a gunshot wound to her hand, while one of her daughters and her sister were taken away by the kidnappers.

Despite her injuries, she managed to hide in a roadside drainage channel alongside another daughter until the attackers left the area.

“The young man looked me in the face and said, ‘Come out or I will shoot you’. I was trying to come out when he shot me in the hand,” she recounted.

Her daughter, Amara Nsofor, said the kidnappers warned the captives against contacting anyone while they remained in the forest.

Inside the camp, the victims came face-to-face with the gang’s leader, who allegedly introduced himself as “Babangida.” One of the rescued victims, Jimoh Gbadamosi, said the kidnappers communicated mainly in Fulani language and carried sophisticated firearms.

According to the victims, each captive was instructed to contact family members and demand huge ransom payments before they could regain their freedom.

Temiloluwa and Gbadamosi were reportedly asked to raise a combined ransom of N70 million, while Amara’s family was initially asked to produce N50 million before negotiations reduced the figure.

Another victim, Ogechi Onuorah, alleged that the kidnappers singled her out because of her ethnic background, accusing her people of previous attacks against Fulani communities.

As hope gradually faded, several captives believed they would never leave the forest alive.

Temiloluwa said she had resigned herself to death and spent her final moments praying.

“I was already seeing myself dead. I was telling God, even if I lose my life, just allow me to inherit your Kingdom,” she said.

Their situation changed dramatically when sustained gunfire erupted from outside the kidnappers’ camp. Believing rival security forces had arrived, the kidnappers reportedly abandoned their captives and fled into the forest.

One of the victims, Ogechi, ventured ahead despite initial fears and discovered police officers conducting a rescue operation.

The victims immediately rushed toward the officers and were safely evacuated from the forest.

The rescue was carried out less than 24 hours after the abduction through a joint operation involving security personnel from Ogun and Lagos States under the code name “Operation Kosaye.”

Following their rescue, the victims expressed surprise at the level of care and professionalism displayed by the police officers, saying the experience had completely changed their perception of the Nigeria Police Force.

Mrs. Nsofor admitted she had previously shared negative opinions about the police but said the operation restored her confidence in the security agency.

Temiloluwa also praised the officers for providing immediate medical attention, food and emotional support after the rescue.

Another victim, Jimoh Gbadamosi, urged Nigerians to support security agencies, describing the rescue operation as one he never believed was possible.

The rescued travellers also appealed to both the Federal Government and Ogun State Government to clear the thick forests surrounding major highways, arguing that the dense vegetation provides safe hideouts for kidnappers.

They further called for improved equipment, better weapons and stronger welfare packages for security personnel involved in anti-kidnapping operations.

Addressing journalists after the operation, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, disclosed that the rescue mission was launched following directives from the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu.

He confirmed that four suspected kidnappers were killed during the exchange of gunfire, while four additional suspects were arrested during follow-up operations across the forests.

According to the police, the security operation extended across border communities linking Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States, leading to the destruction of several criminal camps and the arrest of 84 suspects.

Ojajuni explained that security operatives had successfully combed major forests stretching from the Lagos-Ibadan corridor through several communities in Ogun State as part of efforts to deny criminal groups safe havens.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, also assured residents that similar operations would continue in other parts of the country to strengthen public safety.

Reacting to the development, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun commended the Inspector-General of Police and officers involved in the operation for what he described as a successful intelligence-led rescue mission.

The governor said the operation demonstrated the importance of collaboration among security agencies and pledged continued investment in surveillance technology, logistics and other security infrastructure to combat criminal activities across the state.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting lives and property while supporting efforts aimed at dismantling criminal networks operating along major highways.

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