Operatives of the Lagos and Ogun State Police Commands have arrested 88 suspects, rescued five kidnap victims, and neutralised four suspected kidnappers during a joint security operation tagged Operation Kosaye” (No Chance).

The operation, which involved extensive bush-combing exercises across Lagos, Ogun, and communities bordering Oyo State, led to the arrest of 84 suspects comprising 75 men and nine women. Four additional suspects linked to a kidnapping incident were also apprehended.

Speaking during the official launch of the exercise at the Ogun State Police Training College in Iperu on Saturday, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, said the initiative was introduced by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to rid both states of criminal elements.

According to Ojajuni, five persons abducted along the Ore–Ogbere Road on Thursday were successfully rescued during the operation. He added that four suspected kidnappers were killed while four others were arrested during the rescue mission.

He explained that the operation was designed to eliminate criminal activities, including kidnapping and banditry, while also clearing forests and hideouts used by criminals.

“We formally launch Operation Kosaye in Lagos and Ogun states. The operation means there is no room for criminality and criminals. It is an initiative of the Inspector-General of Police and enjoys the full support of the governors of Lagos and Ogun states,” he said.

Ojajuni noted that security operatives combed several locations, including Ikeja, Kara Bridge, Redeemed Camp, Iseri Corridor, Owode-Egba, Ogere, Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu-Ode, Epe, Ikorodu, Ogijo, and communities near the Ondo State border.

He disclosed that officers dismantled criminal hideouts and shanties across the affected areas, leading to multiple arrests. During the exercise, a security breach reported around the J3/J4 corridor near the Benin–Sagamu Expressway prompted a swift response by security personnel, resulting in the rescue of the abducted victims.

Items recovered during the operation included AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, assault rifles, locally-made and foreign pistols, ammunition, battle axes, cutlasses, and mobile phones.

The police commissioner urged residents to remain calm and vigilant, advising them to promptly report anyone with gunshot wounds or suspicious injuries to law enforcement authorities.

Also speaking, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, dismissed reports suggesting that bandits had infiltrated Lagos and Ogun states, stressing that security teams had thoroughly searched forests and other suspected hideouts across both states.

Fatai reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to safeguarding lives and property, adding that the operation would be sustained and replicated in other parts of the country.

“To dispel the rumours that bandits have taken over Ogun State and infiltrated Lagos, we want the public to know that all identified forests and thick vegetation have been thoroughly combed and searched,” he said.

He commended the Inspector-General of Police for his leadership and thanked the Lagos and Ogun State governments for supporting the initiative.