The police in Lagos have confirmed that nine suspected kidnappers were killed on Thursday during a shootout.
Lagos police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin said the police had been on the trail of the kidnappers after receiving intelligence about their activities.
Addressing journalists at the command headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, Mr Hundeyin said the state command, under the stewardship of the Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, was delighted with the breakthrough it recorded on Thursday.
He noted that before the operation, police intelligence gathering assets had yielded very credible and actionable intelligence about a dangerous and very notorious gang of kidnappers planning to kidnap some high net-worth individuals in the state.
“Upon receipt of this intelligence about two weeks ago, CP Fayoade directed the Command’s tactical teams to commence work on it. They followed up closely, monitored dutifully and were able to determine that the gang was going to strike yesterday in the Ladipo area of Lagos State.
“With the benefit of this information, we were able to proactively prepare for them and more or less laid an ambush for them.
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“The kidnappers, who were caught unawares, would not give up easily as they engaged the police officers in a shoot-out,” Mr Hundeyin, a superintendent of police said.
“They, of course, bowed to the superior firepower of the police. Nine of them were neutralised while two escaped with gunshot injuries.”
Mr Hundeyin said the shootout occurred in the Ladipo, Mushin area of the state and that several weapons, including “Four AK-47 rifles, four locally-made semiautomatic pistols, nine AK47 magazines, three walkie-talkies,” were recovered from the suspects.
Also recovered were two operational vehicles: one black Toyota 4Runner and a blue Lexus RX350, Mr Hundeyin said, adding that investigations were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.
The police spokesperson disclosed that the Command had been on the trail of the gang for the past eight months as a result of their numerous kidnapping of wealthy individuals in Isolo, Okota, Ejigbo and Ladipo areas of Lagos State.
“We are proud to declare that their reign of terror has effectively come to an end. This breakthrough is in addition to several other breakthroughs we have made in recent times in identifying and apprehending gangs of kidnappers and armed robbers while planning their crimes.
