The Oyo State Police Command has rescued a 15-year-old boy and killed a suspected kidnapper during a security operation along the Awe-Iwo Road.
According to Channels Television, the command’s spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Monday, October 26, 2026.
The teenager, identified as Sumaila Muhammadu, was kidnapped on October 18 from the Onidundun area of Akinyele Local Government Area.
Police said the rescue followed intelligence indicating that the abductors were demanding ransom for his release.
Police engage suspected kidnappers in gun battle
Olayinka explained that security operatives received information about the kidnapping on October 22.
Following the report, Commissioner of Police Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga directed the Anti-Kidnapping Section to investigate the incident.
The operatives subsequently collaborated with members of the Oyo Zone Vigilante Group of Nigeria to locate the suspects.
According to the police, the joint team advanced towards the suspected kidnappers’ location along the Pipeline-Ajagba axis of Awe-Iwo Road.
A gun battle reportedly broke out around 9:30 p.m. after the suspects opened fire on the approaching security personnel.
During the encounter, officers rescued the teenager and killed one suspected kidnapper.
Other members of the gang reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries.
Oyo police intensify search for fleeing suspects
Police disclosed that a medical doctor confirmed the death of the unidentified suspect, whose body was subsequently deposited at a mortuary.
Operatives also recovered an Android mobile phone and a cutlass during the operation.
The command urged residents living around the Awe-Iwo Road corridor to report individuals seeking treatment for suspicious gunshot wounds.
Medical practitioners and hospital administrators were similarly encouraged to assist ongoing investigations.
The Commissioner of Police assured residents that the command would strengthen intelligence gathering and cooperation with relevant security agencies.
He also urged members of the public to provide credible information capable of helping security personnel identify criminal hideouts.
The police maintained that operations would continue to prevent kidnapping and other violent crimes across Oyo State.
