Temiloluwa Faith, an IT professional traveling to visit her family, found herself in a terrifying situation on June 25 along the Sagamu-Benin Expressway near Ogbere. Her journey, intended as the start of a vacation, turned into a nightmare when armed assailants ambushed her vehicle, causing a collision that resulted in her losing several teeth. She and four other commuters were forcibly dragged into the dense forest, where they endured hours of barefoot trekking through thorny terrain.
Among the captives were others caught in the violence, including Blessing Nsofor, a widow who had recently buried her husband. Nsofor was shot in the hand while her daughter and sister were abducted by the gunmen. The captors, led by a man identifying himself as Babangida, demanded astronomical ransoms, specifically targeting travelers they perceived as wealthy or from the Southeast. The group was kept in a state of terror, with constant threats of death looming over them.
The ordeal reached its conclusion during a coordinated security mission known as Operation Kosaye. The intense gunfire from police officers forced the captors to flee, allowing the hostages to escape to safety. Following their rescue, the victims expressed profound gratitude to the police force, noting that the experience significantly improved their view of law enforcement. Authorities, led by Inspector General Olatunji Disu and regional commissioners, reported the neutralisation of several kidnappers and the arrest of numerous suspects during the sweep of the area. In the wake of the rescue, the victims have urged the government to cultivate the forest lands and continue providing security agencies with the resources needed to combat highway criminality effectively.
