Ten passengers abducted from a commercial bus in Ogun State have regained their freedom unharmed, after four days in captivity, following sustained operations by the police and other security agencies.

The victims were seized on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, when gunmen intercepted their commercial vehicle around Orita Fufu, Awa-Ijebu, in Ijebu North-East Local Government Area. They were freed at about 8.30pm on Saturday, 7 November, after what the police described as sustained pressure and intelligence-led efforts to secure their release.

The Ogun State Police Command confirmed the release on Sunday. Its spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the passengers were freed without injury and that operations against the gang behind the abduction were continuing.

Follow-up raid on the hideout

In a follow-up operation at about 1am on Sunday, 8 November, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit stormed a suspected kidnappers' hideout along the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road. A gun battle followed, during which one suspected kidnapper was killed. An 18-year-old suspect, Abubakar Yinusa, was arrested.

Police said items recovered during the operation included an AK-47 rifle, 20 rounds of ammunition, ₦1,376,800 in cash and a mobile phone. The command said efforts were continuing to track down other members of the gang who escaped, some with suspected gunshot wounds.

Among the rescued passengers was a member of the National Youth Service Corps, the scheme under which Nigerian graduates serve for a year after university. The presence of a corps member among the victims drew particular attention to the case in Ogun State.

Governor praises security agencies

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, commended the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Ridwan Disu, for their roles in the rescue. He also praised the leadership of the Ogun State Security Network Agency, known as the Amotekun Corps, which took part in the operation.

The governor singled out the DSS chief for providing critical intelligence and sophisticated security equipment that helped operatives track the abductors, and credited the police chief with prompt intervention and directives that mobilised the Ogun State Police Command and other agencies into action.

In a statement, Governor Abiodun declared that his administration would not allow kidnappers and other criminal elements to turn any part of the state into a safe haven. He vowed that the government would continue to flush out criminals operating in Ogun.

A wider security problem

Kidnapping for ransom has become one of the most serious security challenges in Nigeria, with travellers on highways among the most frequent targets. Commercial buses are regularly intercepted on inter-state roads, and victims are often held in forest hideouts while ransoms are negotiated.

The police say the rescue in Ogun was achieved through coordination between agencies, including intelligence sharing between the police, the DSS and the Amotekun Corps. The command has said the collaboration behind this operation is the model it intends to keep using against kidnapping gangs in the state.

For the ten passengers, the ordeal ended without physical injury. For the police, the follow-up raid produced an arrest, a weapon and cash that may help identify the wider network. The command says its operation is not yet over, and that it will keep pursuing the remaining suspects until they are brought to justice.