Five students from Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade in Ogun State have opened up about their harrowing experience after being freed from kidnappers. What began as a routine trip to grab a meal turned into a nightmare on the Isara-Ode road.
Speaking to DAILY POST, the visibly distressed youths recounted the terrifying moments from their abduction in Remo North Local Government Area to their eventual rescue. The group, comprising four men and one woman, was traveling in an ash-colored Toyota when they were ambushed by torch-wielding gunmen on a bridge. The attackers, numbering about 12, forced open the car doors, seized phones, jewelry, and even drinks, leaving the victims injured.
The incident occurred just 48 hours after a similar attack on students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ibogun campus. The kidnappers, according to the victims, used their lights to mimic a police stop, then took control of the vehicle. The students were forced to trek for three hours into dense bush before being allowed to contact their families for ransom.
One victim, identified only as Taye, described the shock of the attack. “They acted like policemen, flashing torches for us to stop. Next thing I heard was a gunshot. They demanded N20 million from each of us and threatened to kill us if we couldn’t pay,” he said in a weak voice.
The students alleged their captors were not strangers to the area, identifying them as Fulani men familiar with the local terrain. One victim recalled a tense moment when a fellow captive called them “Fulani,” which enraged the kidnappers, who then pointed a gun at him. “They know the whole community and vicinity,” the student insisted.
Another victim revealed that while three students were asked for N20 million each, the driver and car owner was shot in the leg and ordered to pay N40 million. Police spokesperson DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi said that upon receiving the report, operatives from Isara Area Command, Ipara Division, SWAT, anti-kidnapping units, and others were deployed. The vehicle was found abandoned with bullet holes and bloodstains.
Ogun State Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni disclosed that security forces engaged the kidnappers in a gunfight, leading to the safe rescue of all five students on April 28, 2026. “The kidnappers fled with gunshot wounds. No officer was harmed,” he said during a press briefing. The police boss called for collaboration with schools, urging them to maintain contact with local police for quick response to emergencies.
School authorities, represented by Deputy Rector Taiwo Ogunyinka, presented an appreciation letter to the CP, commending the bravery and swift action. SUG President Comrade Akinpelu Timothy also praised the police, saying the rescue assured students that their lives were in safe hands.