A coordinated security operation in Kwara State has resulted in the rescue of nine kidnapped victims and the neutralization of three suspected bandits after a fierce gun battle. The operation, led by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in collaboration with the Kwara State Forest Guards, local hunters, and vigilantes, took place in the Obbo Aiyegunle, Ejiu Ora, and Osi axis of Ekiti Local Government Area, which borders Ekiti and Niger states.
Victims rescued from kidnappers' den
The rescued victims included farmers who had been seized from their farmlands, as well as others previously abducted in neighboring Ekiti State. According to Prince Dada Sunday, Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of Ekiti Local Government, the kidnappers had assembled more than ten victims from different locations before security operatives intercepted them. The victims were freed after the kidnappers fled under heavy gunfire, abandoning their captives.
Sunday confirmed the operation on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, stating that intelligence gathered by security agencies led to the successful mission. He noted that one of the victims sustained serious head injuries after being attacked with a machete while resisting abduction. “One of the victims was macheted on the head because he initially resisted the kidnappers. He is currently responding to treatment,” Sunday said.
Eyewitness accounts of the ordeal
One of the rescued victims, Umaru Muazu of Obbo Aiyegunle, recounted the terrifying incident. “They came from nowhere and pointed a gun at my head. Four of them took me and my son. They also took my friend’s motorcycle before marching us into the bush,” he said. Another rescued farmer, Ibrahim Danga, said the victims had been held captive before security operatives arrived and engaged the kidnappers in an exchange of gunfire.
A member of the Kwara Forest Guards, Owolabi Adebayo, described the operation as intelligence-driven. “We neutralised three of them and rescued nine victims. They were heavily armed and possessed different types of firearms. We need more operational equipment, including body armour, binoculars, night vision goggles, walkie talkies and ammunition to effectively confront them,” he said.
Security forces continue offensive against kidnapping gangs
The Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Ojo Adekimi, told Daily Trust that the “DSS is in charge of the forest guard in the state.” The latest rescue operation adds to a series of recent security offensives against kidnapping gangs in Kwara, highlighting the ongoing efforts to combat banditry and abductions in the region.
Sunday disclosed that all nine victims were rescued at the scene after security operatives engaged the kidnappers in an exchange of gunfire that left three suspects dead, while the remaining members of the gang escaped into the forest. The operation underscores the effectiveness of joint security collaborations in tackling criminal activities in the state.
