How security forces tracked down seven abducted Ogun Polytechnic students

Seven students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, abducted by gunmen along the institution’s axis on July 29, 2026, have regained their freedom after a coordinated security operation that led to the arrest of two suspected members of the kidnapping gang.

The rescue, according to Ogun State authorities, was the result of days of intelligence gathering, ground operations and aerial surveillance involving several security agencies and local security networks.

Governor Dapo Abiodun announced the breakthrough on Thursday at the Ogun State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, describing the operation as a major development in the state’s campaign against kidnapping and other violent crimes.

But while all seven students have now been rescued, security authorities say the operation is not over, with other members of the criminal network still being pursued in the forest.

How the rescue operation unfolded

The state government activated a coordinated rescue operation immediately after the students were abducted.

The operation brought together the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Armed Forces, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ogun State Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, as well as local vigilantes and hunters.

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A major turning point came on August 3 when Abiodun said he personally contacted the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, requesting aerial surveillance to complement the security teams operating on the ground.

The request was approved, resulting in the deployment of a police helicopter.

According to the governor, the operation subsequently proceeded in phases.

Five of the abducted students were rescued during the initial phase. They were taken for medical attention before being reunited with their families.

The remaining two students were rescued during a follow-up operation involving the police helicopter and ground forces.

One of the victims sustained a gunshot injury during the abduction and was immediately evacuated for treatment. The governor said the student had since been stabilised.

Two suspects arrested as gang members flee

The security operation also resulted in the arrest of two suspected members of the kidnapping gang.

The suspects are currently in police custody and are assisting investigators with information about the criminal network.

The Ogun State Commissioner of Police confirmed that security personnel were still operating in the forest in an attempt to apprehend other fleeing suspects.

He also disclosed that no ransom was paid for the release of the students.

The decision by security authorities to withhold the precise location of the rescue suggests that the operation remains active.

Abiodun said revealing operational details could compromise the ongoing manhunt, warning that all individuals linked to the kidnapping network would be pursued.

“The operation is still ongoing, and for operational reasons, we cannot disclose the exact location of the rescue.”

One of the significant features of the rescue was the reported combination of intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation and aerial surveillance.

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The governor attributed the success to improved intelligence sharing among security agencies and local security networks, pointing to recent initiatives, including Operation KWS, as part of the state’s broader response to violent crime.

The use of a police helicopter also introduced an aerial component to an operation that had initially relied heavily on ground teams searching difficult forest terrain.

Security officials, however, have not disclosed how the abductors were initially located, the exact hideout where the victims were held, or whether intelligence from the arrested suspects directly led to the recovery of the remaining members of the group.

Those details could become important as investigators attempt to determine how the gang operated, how the students were monitored before the abduction and whether the kidnappers had collaborators providing information or logistics.

Abiodun vowed that the state would continue operations aimed at dismantling kidnapping syndicates, destroying criminal hideouts and denying criminals access to forest routes that could serve as safe havens.

“There will be no hiding place for kidnappers, their informants, collaborators, sponsors or logistics providers,” the governor declared.

He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for strengthening the security architecture through increased investment in security agencies, intelligence coordination and personnel welfare.

The governor praised the Inspector-General of Police, the DSS Director-General Tosin Ajayi, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, the military, NSCDC, Amotekun Corps, vigilantes, hunters and other personnel involved in the rescue.