Police:

The  Ogun Police Command on Wednesday said its  officers shot dead five suspected kidnappers on Tuesday night after a failed attempt to collect  a N100 million ransom.

Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi, the command’s  Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said this on Wednesday while  parading  the corpses of the suspected kidnappers to journalists at the Egba Owode Divisional Police Headquarters in  Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area.

Oyeyemi said the kidnappers had  engaged the police in a shootout during the rescue of the victim who had been  in captivity for five days.

He said the suspects had on Friday waylaid the victim,  dragged him out of his car at gun point and took him to a forest where they kept him for five days.

The spokesman  explained that the kidnappers within the period the victim was in their  custody made contact with his family to demand the sum of  N100 million.

Following the development, he said  the Commissioner of  Police,  Ahmed Ilyasu,  gave a marching order for the  rescue of  the victim and arrest of  the suspects.

He said the police  raided the hideout  in the forest and five of the suspects died in the ensuing shootout while one escaped with bullet wounds.

Oyeyemi, however, gave an assurance that the fleeing  gang member would soon be arrested.

The  victim, Stephen Adesokan, said that he was driving on the  Ajura-Ogere road in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area when the suspects accosted him.

Adesokan,  the  orderly to the Divisional Police Officer of Ibara Divisional Police Headquarters in Abeokuta, said he was full of gratitude to  God and  the command for  rescuing  him.

“The bandits emerged from a nearby bush and at gun point forced me out of the car.

“ They led me into a bush and we started  trekking for about an hour.

“They later declared to me that they were kidnappers and ordered me to speak to my family through the phone that I am in their  custody.

“T‎hey took the phone from me and spoke with my family demanding for N100 million before I could regain my freedom.

“Failure to pay, they said,  would result in  my death, ” he said.

(NAN)