A high-stakes, gunfire-heavy security operation in Oyo State has culminated in a major victory for law enforcement, as operatives completely neutralized three suspected kidnappers and successfully rescued an abducted victim in the Otu forest, located within the Oke-Ogun axis of the state.
The dramatic breakthrough, confirmed on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, was achieved through a fierce, highly coordinated joint operation involving state police operatives, local hunters, and other strategic security collaborators.
The intense chain of events kicked off on Monday, May 25, 2026, when local hunters on a routine expedition in Otu unexpectedly came under heavy, unprovoked gunfire from criminal elements hiding deep in the thicket. Though the hunters miraculously escaped the initial ambush without casualties, they immediately sent out an urgent distress call. Reacting swiftly to the intelligence, a heavily armed combined team of police forces and local security actors mobilized and stormed the forest location.
Upon infiltration, the joint security team was met with an immediate, chaotic wall of bullets from the suspected kidnappers, triggering a fierce and prolonged gun duel under the canopy. Utilizing superior tactical maneuvers, the operatives aggressively pinned down and overpowered the ring, neutralizing three of the gunmen on the spot.
Amid the smoking gun battle, security forces successfully breached the camp to rescue 50-year-old Mr. Mosudi Gbolagade, who had been violently abducted days prior in Okaka and held captive under harrowing conditions. While Gbolagade was successfully freed from the iron grip of his captors, he agonizingly sustained gunshot injuries during the intense crossfire and was rushed to a nearby medical facility alongside a local hunter who was also wounded during the assault.
Following a meticulous sweep of the neutralized camp, security operatives recovered an AK-47 rifle, a single-barrel gun, and a machete used by the syndicate to terrorize the local community.
Lauding the exceptional bravery displayed on the field, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police praised the seamless synergy and gallantry of both the official operatives and the local hunters. Reaffirming the command’s unyielding commitment to completely flushing out criminal elements across the state, the CP urged the public to remain highly vigilant and continue feeding law enforcement with the timely, credible intelligence required to keep the peace.
