Men of the Ogun State Police Command engaged in a gun duel with about eight gunmen allegedly responsible for the kidnapping of Tunde Osifowokan, the farm manager of Flourishing Poultry Farm in Idowa, Odogbolu Local Government Area, killing five of them.

Freelanews reported that masked gunmen stormed the poultry farm on Monday, shooting sporadically, after which they abducted Osifowokan, said to be the younger brother of the farm’s owner.

The hoodlums demanded the whereabouts of the farm owner, after which his younger brother stated that the owner was not present. Realising that the young man was the brother of their target, the kidnappers whisked him away amidst heavy gunfire.

The state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, stated on Thursday that the police had been on the trail of the armed gang since the incident was reported.

Alamutu said, “At about 4am on Thursday, our Anti-Kidnapping Unit stormed the kidnappers’ hideout at Odogbolu forest on the Sagamu-Benin Expressway.

“The kidnappers engaged the squad in a fierce gun battle during which five of them, out of about eight, were neutralised while the rest escaped with bullet wounds.

“Exhibits recovered from the dead among the kidnappers are cash sum of N1,185,070 suspected to be part of the ransom the kidnappers had collected.

“Other exhibits are one sword, cellphones, substances suspected to be hard drugs, charms, empty shells of AK47 riffle and sticks.”

Alamutu also confirmed that the victim, Osifowokan, was rescued unhurt.

The corpses of the kidnappers were deposited at the morgue of a General Hospital for autopsy.

The CP stated that the command has intensified efforts to apprehend all the fleeing suspects, warning that criminals intent on testing the strong resolve of the police in the state will face consequences.