Seven students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, Ogun State, have regained their freedom after spending eight days in captivity following their abduction by gunmen.
The students were rescued in the early hours of Thursday by a joint security team comprising police operatives and other security personnel, bringing relief to their families, school authorities and residents of the state.
The students were kidnapped last Wednesday at about 8 p.m. from a private hostel along Paraga Road, Ipara-Remo, a community close to the polytechnic.
An eyewitness said the attack lasted for about 30 minutes, during which the kidnappers reportedly fired several gunshots before taking the students away.
The incident caused fear among residents and renewed concerns over the safety of students living in private hostels around the polytechnic.
But the victims were eventually rescued following an intensive search-and-rescue operation launched by security agencies.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun announced the rescue on Thursday while addressing journalists at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Abiodun said security agencies had been mobilised to dominate the affected corridor and adjoining forests in an effort to locate the victims and apprehend the kidnappers.
According to him, the operation was strengthened with aerial surveillance after he contacted the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, on Monday, August 3, requesting additional support.
The governor said Disu responded immediately by approving and deploying a police helicopter to assist the ground forces.
He said the combined operation eventually led to the rescue of all seven victims alive.
“I am glad to report that the IG responded without delay by approving and deploying a police helicopter the same day. I am standing here this evening pleased to inform the good people of Ogun State that, in the early hours of today, Thursday, 6 August 2026, the combined security operation successfully rescued all seven victims alive,” Abiodun said.
The governor disclosed that one of the victims sustained a gunshot injury during the attack.
He said the victim was immediately taken for medical treatment and had since been stabilised.
The rescue operation was carried out in stages, according to the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni.
Ojajuni said five of the victims were rescued first in the early hours of Thursday by ground forces and were taken for medical attention before being reunited with their families.
He said the remaining two victims were rescued after the police helicopter and ground forces stormed the kidnappers’ hideout.
“It was an operational affair. No ransom was paid. We rescued five in the early hours of today and handed them over to their respective families. We reunited them, but before then, we took them for medical treatment,” the police commissioner said.
He added that security operatives had arrested two suspects believed to be members of the kidnapping gang.
“In the early hours too, the helicopter and the ground forces stormed the kidnappers’ den and rescued the remaining two victims. We have successfully arrested two of the kidnappers as we speak. They are with us and are talking, while we are still on the trail of the others as the operation continues,” Ojajuni said.
The commissioner did not disclose the identities of the arrested suspects or give details of the information obtained from them.
He, however, said the security operation was still ongoing as the police continued to search for other members of the gang.
The development is expected to ease tension among students and residents in communities around Gateway ICT Polytechnic.
The institution is located in Saapade, in the Remo area of Ogun State, while several students live in private hostels in neighbouring communities.
The use of private accommodation by students outside school premises has often raised security concerns, particularly in areas where hostels are close to isolated roads, forests or other locations that could provide cover for criminals.
The latest incident also highlights the wider challenge of kidnapping in Ogun State and other parts of the country.
Kidnappers have in recent years targeted motorists, residents, students and other members of the public, with forests and remote communities sometimes used as hideouts.
Security agencies have responded through increased patrols, intelligence gathering, joint operations and other measures aimed at locating criminal gangs and rescuing victims.
In the GAPOSA case, the Ogun State Government said the affected area and surrounding forests were placed under increased security surveillance after the students were abducted.
Abiodun said the government would not allow Ogun State to become a safe haven for kidnappers and other criminals.
He also urged residents to support security agencies by providing credible information about suspicious activities and individuals.
The governor stressed that security was a shared responsibility and called on members of the public to remain vigilant.
He assured residents that security agencies would continue to track those connected with the kidnapping until they were brought to justice.
The successful rescue of the students without the payment of ransom was also presented by the police as an indication of the security agencies’ determination to confront kidnapping through direct operations.
The police did not disclose whether any of the kidnappers escaped during the operation or whether weapons were recovered from the hideout.
The rescued students are now with their families after receiving medical attention.
For their parents and relatives, the rescue ended eight days of anxiety and uncertainty over the safety of their loved ones.
The incident had also raised concerns among the wider polytechnic community, particularly students living outside the institution’s main campus.
With two suspects already in custody and other members of the gang still being pursued, the police said the operation would continue.
For now, the safe return of all seven students has brought relief to the affected families, while the ongoing security operation is expected to focus on dismantling the kidnapping network responsible for the attack.