A newly launched joint security operation by the Lagos and Ogun State Police Commands has recorded an early breakthrough, with four suspected kidnappers killed, five abducted victims rescued and 88 criminal suspects arrested across both states.
The coordinated initiative, codenamed Operation Kósàyè, was unveiled as part of efforts to dismantle criminal gangs operating along the Lagos-Ogun border corridors and prevent suspects from exploiting state boundaries to evade arrest.
The operation was formally launched on Saturday at the Police Training School in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State, by the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Mr. Bode Ojajuni, alongside his Lagos State counterpart, Mr. Fatai Tijani.
Its first major success came on Friday night when a joint tactical team comprising more than 300 police personnel stormed the thick forest around Area J4 in Ogbere, Ogun State.
The operatives were acting on intelligence while tracking a kidnapping syndicate that had abducted five travellers along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway less than 24 hours earlier.
A fierce gun battle reportedly broke out during the operation, with security operatives killing four suspected kidnappers on the spot.
Another member of the gang escaped into the forest with serious gunshot wounds, while four additional suspects were arrested alive.
Police operatives recovered several weapons and items from the suspects, including AK-47 rifles, pump-action shotguns, locally fabricated pistols, live ammunition, mobile phones and communication gadgets.
At the same time, forest clearance operations conducted across wider border communities between Lagos and Ogun States led to the arrest of 84 additional suspects, made up of 75 men and nine women.
Speaking during the parade of suspects, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bode Ojajuni, explained that the Yoruba name, Kósàyè, translates to “there is no hiding place” or “no space for criminality.”
“Today, we are formally launching Operation Kósàyè, a joint security initiative between the Lagos and Ogun State Police Commands. The name Kósàyè means ‘there is no hiding place for criminals.’
This operation is an initiative of the Inspector-General of Police and enjoys the full support of the governments of Lagos and Ogun States, which have provided the necessary logistics to ensure its success,” Ojajuni said.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Tijani, said the operation was specifically designed to deny criminals the opportunity to exploit difficult terrains and administrative boundaries to escape justice.
One of the rescued travellers, who spoke anonymously during the Command briefing, narrated the traumatic experience of being held captive in the forest by a five-man gang before the tactical team eventually rescued them.
Security agencies say Operation Kósàyè will continue across both states as authorities intensify efforts to rid the Lagos-Ogun axis of kidnappers and other criminal elements.
