Men of Ogun State Police Command engaged in a gun duel with about eight gunmen responsible for the kidnapping of Tunde Osifowokan, the farm manager of Flourishing Poultry Farm, Idowa, in the Odogbolu Local Government area, killing five of the kidnappers.

The masked gunmen reportedly stormed the poultry farm on Monday, shooting indiscriminately, after which they abducted Osifowokan, who is said to be the younger brother of the owner of the farm.

The state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, however, said on Thursday that the police had been on the trail of the armed gang since the incident was reported.

Alamutu said, “At about 4am on Thursday, our anti-kidnapping unit stormed the kidnapper’s hideout at Odogbolu forest along Sagamu-Benin Expressway.

“The kidnappers engaged the squad in a fierce gun battle during which five of them, out of about eight, were neutralized while the rest escaped with bullet wounds.

“Exhibits recovered from the dead among the kidnappers are cash sum of N1,185, 070 suspected to be part of the ransom the kidnappers had collected.

“Other exhibits are one sword, cellphones, substances suspected to be hard drugs, charms, empty shells of AK47 riffle and sticks”.

Alamutu also said that the victim, Osifowokan, was rescued unhurt

The corpses of the kidnappers were said to have been deposited at the morgue of a General Hospital for autopsy.

The CP said that the command has intensified efforts to bring all the fleeing suspects to book, warning that criminals who are hellbent on testing the strong resolve of the police in the state will have themselves to blame.