Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the death of three suspected kidnappers linked to the abduction of students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, Ogun State, following a gun battle with security operatives.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this on Sunday in a statement detailing recent operational successes recorded by the police and other security agencies across the country.

According to Iniedu, the victims were rescued unhurt after sustained pressure was mounted on the kidnappers by security operatives. He said personnel from the police Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the Department of State Services, DSS, subsequently tracked the suspects to their hideout.

The operation reportedly resulted in a confrontation between the security forces and the kidnappers. Three of the suspects were killed during the exchange of gunfire, while others managed to escape with injuries.

Iniedu stated that six students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic who had been abducted at Ipara were eventually freed without injuries.

“Anti-Kidnapping and DSS operatives subsequently stormed the kidnappers’ hideout and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel. Three kidnappers were neutralised, while others escaped with gunshot wounds,” he said.

The police spokesman said operatives recovered an AK-47 rifle, an empty magazine, three mobile phones and N2.3m during the operation.

He added that the State Criminal Investigation Department had commenced further investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the abduction and identify other suspects who may have been involved.

The development follows an earlier assurance by Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, that criminal elements would not be allowed to operate freely in the state.

Abiodun had spoken after the rescue of the five students and two other residents, declaring that his administration remained committed to safeguarding lives and property across Ogun.

The governor, who addressed journalists at his Oke-Mosan office in Abeokuta alongside security chiefs and some of the rescued victims, attributed the successful operation to the coordinated efforts of multiple security and local protection agencies.

According to him, the operation involved the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Ogun State Security Network Agency, also known as the Amotekun Corps, as well as local vigilantes and hunters.

Abiodun also revealed that the operation was strengthened by the deployment of a police helicopter after the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, approved its use for aerial surveillance.

He said the helicopter played an important role in supporting the ground operation and ultimately contributed to the successful rescue of the abducted students and other victims.

Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) have neutralised an armed militia member and recovered two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles following an attack and heavy gunfire in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident occurred on Sunday, August 9, 2026, following reports of suspicious movements around the bushes linking Kantoma, Bwom and Jakatai communities.

According to security sources available to counter-terrorism expert Zagazola Makama, the troops stationed at Maraban Kantoma received a distress call from local youth leaders at about 3:51 p.m., reporting the movement of unidentified persons in the adjoining bushes.

The situation reportedly escalated when armed militia members attacked Rangai community in Mangu Halle District, firing sporadically.

Troops from the NYSC camp immediately responded to the distress call and moved to confront the attackers.

At about the same time, a joint clearance and show-of-force team operating under Operation RAINBOW, led by its coordinator, was travelling from Mangun towards Jos when residents at Jakatai reportedly alerted the team to the developing security situation.

The team diverted towards Jakatai and engaged the armed elements, while troops operating along the Kantoma axis reportedly came under heavy gunfire from the militia members.

The troops responded with superior firepower, forcing the attackers to retreat in disarray.

During the exchange, one militia member was reportedly neutralised inside Jakatai community, while others fled in different directions.

Two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles were subsequently recovered by the troops—one from the neutralised suspect and another reportedly abandoned by a fleeing attacker.

“The troops responded immediately to the distress call and engaged the attackers, preventing the violence from spreading to neighbouring communities,” the sources said.

The body of the neutralised suspect was later deposited at the Barkin Ladi General Hospital mortuary, while the security team continued its movement towards Jos.

However, shortly after the attack was repelled, civil unrest reportedly broke out in Jakatai, where youths and women barricaded the Mangu-Jos Highway, disrupting traffic and temporarily affecting public order.

Following the development, the Commander, Sector 8, directed troops to reopen the highway and disperse the protesters. The troops subsequently conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the Rangai general area.

“The immediate priority was to reopen the highway, restore the free movement of traffic and prevent further escalation of the situation,” a security source said.

The incident has once again highlighted the volatile security situation in parts of Plateau State, particularly in areas where armed groups continue to pose threats to communities and security personnel.

A farmer in Kastina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State has reportedly abandoned his farmland after suspected bandits demanded N500,000 before allowing him to access and harvest his crops.

The farmer, identified as a resident of Mbagena Council Ward in Kastina-Ala local government area, was allegedly targeted by local bandits who have reportedly been terrorising communities in the area and imposing ransom demands on residents.

His son, John James, a 300-level student of Benue State University (BSU), disclosed the development while speaking at a capacity-building workshop on Promoting Safety and Security Rights, Accountability and Access to Justice organised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in Makurdi at the weekend.

According to James, his father, who works in the public sector while also engaging in farming, was attacked at his residence about two weeks ago by suspected bandits who demanded N500,000.

James said the attackers initially gave his father three days to produce the money but later extended the deadline to seven days after he explained that he needed to harvest his farm produce before he could raise the ransom.

He said his father had planned to sell some of his crops, including groundnut, beniseed and soyabean, to raise the money demanded by the attackers.

James said, “About two weeks ago, terrorists invaded his compound in the night where he was sleeping alongside my mother after work. They charged him to pay a ransom of N500,000. 

“My father pleaded with them because there was nothing at the moment. He had to plead with them for our lives because contacting the security would only worsen the situation.”

The student further narrated that the situation escalated when the attackers returned to the family home and abducted his mother, accusing his father of intentionally delaying the ransom payment.

According to him, the farmer was away attending a burial ceremony around Kastina-Ala town when the gunmen arrived at the residence and took his mother away.

James said his mother was eventually released after one of the abductors reportedly intervened and pleaded for her freedom after seeing her crying and in distress.

“She was freed but not without being tortured. As I talk to you now, my mother is suffering emotionally and physically from the pains she suffered in the course of the torture,” he said.

He disclosed that his father subsequently sought assistance from friends and relatives and was able to raise N200,000, which he handed over to the suspected bandits at about midnight on Thursday.

However, rather than allowing him unrestricted access to his farm, the attackers allegedly told him that he would have to complete the N500,000 ransom before harvesting the rest of his crops.

“When my father returned and handed them the money, they said it was not enough, that he had to complete it to N500,000 before he would be allowed to harvest anything from his farm,” he said.

James said the continued threats had left his father with no choice but to flee the community, while his farm produce remained unharvested.

“They are still threatening my father for the remaining amount, and he is on the run for fear of the unknown. He can’t go back to harvest everything now until he gets all the money,” James added.

He expressed concern that the suspected bandits allegedly operate openly within the community, with some reportedly known to local residents.

“These people are moving freely in our vicinity, and they are local bandits. In fact, some of them are known to the villagers because they are from the same community,” he said.

The BSU student explained that his father was not the only victim, saying other residents had also experienced repeated attacks, theft and intimidation.

He added that although the latest incident was the first time his father had been asked to pay money specifically to gain access to his farm, the farmer had previously suffered attacks in which his belongings and cash were taken.

“Other villagers suffer a similar fate regularly. However, it’s the first time my father has been charged a ransom for harvest. But he had been attacked several times where his money and goods were carted away,” he said.

James also expressed worry over the apparent reluctance of residents to report incidents to security agencies, alleging that some villagers who attempted to involve the police were subsequently attacked by the bandits.

“The villagers hardly report to the police because those who attempted were killed by the bandits,” he alleged.