Five students from Gateway ICT Polytechnic in Saapade, Ogun State, were rescued on Tuesday after being abducted on the Isara‑Ode road.
The group, four males and one female, were travelling in an ash‑coloured Toyota when gunmen on a bridge halted the vehicle with torches, pretending to be police. The assailants forced the doors open, removed phones, jewellery, cash and other valuables, and injured the driver before fleeing.
According to the survivors, the kidnappers—estimated at twelve and identified by the victims as Fulani men familiar with the local terrain—took the students into dense bushland for three hours. While there, the captors demanded a ransom of ₦20 million per student. One victim, who gave the pseudonym “Taye,” recounted being threatened with gunfire and warned that failure to pay would result in death.
Police responded after the abandoned vehicle, bearing bullet holes and bloodstains, was reported. Officers from Isara Area Command, Ipara Division, SWAT, the Anti‑Kidnapping Unit, the Violent Crime Response Unit, the Quick Response Squad and OP MESA were deployed. A rescue operation, described by State Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni as a “gun duel,” resulted in the abductors fleeing with suspected gunshot wounds and the safe recovery of the five students on 28 April 2026. No police casualties were reported.
The rescued students received immediate medical attention and were debriefed before being returned to the polytechnic. In a press briefing, Commissioner Ojajuni pledged heightened security for schools across Ogun State, urging institutions to maintain close contact with police for rapid response to emergencies. He noted that a police post had been established near Olabisi Onabanjo University’s Ibogun campus after a separate kidnapping incident involving its engineering students.
Gateway ICT Polytechnic’s Deputy Rector, Taiwo Ogunyinka, presented an appreciation letter to the commissioner, thanking the police for their swift action. Student Union Government president, Comrade Akinpelu Timothy, also expressed gratitude, stating the rescue reinforced confidence in the authorities’ ability to protect students.
The incident follows a recent attack on engineering students at Olabisi Onabanjo University, highlighting a surge in kidnappings targeting educational institutions in the region. Security officials warned that those responsible will face decisive law‑enforcement action.
