By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Nigeria Police and immigration officers |
In a tense operation on Tuesday night, security forces stormed a hideout in the swampy Ibereko area of Badagry, rescuing 45-year-old Ladi Abel. The victim, who is the wife of a senior Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) officer, had been kidnapped just a day earlier while travelling on the notorious Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Mrs. Abel was on a routine trip to the Trade Fair Complex in Ojoo, Lagos, to purchase goods when her commercial bus was ambushed. According to her daughter, Naomi, the kidnappers used two vehicles to intercept the bus at the Torikoh bus stop. The assailants then incapacitated the passengers by blowing a white substance into the vehicle, rendering them unconscious.
The kidnappers subsequently made contact with the family, demanding a N3 million ransom for her release. In a desperate bid to secure her safety, her husband, CSI Abel Mada, revealed he had already paid N2.5 million. "I was still looking for the balance when I heard the incredible news that she had been rescued," he stated.
The successful rescue was the result of a coordinated effort between the NIS Seme Border Command and the Nigeria Police Force. Isaac Elijah, the NIS Public Relations Officer, confirmed that a team of approximately 20 immigration officers and 25 police officers, guided by community members, combed the Ibereko area.
The operation, led by CSP Folajimi Akosile, the Divisional Police Officer of Badagry, located the kidnappers' hideout at No. 47, Ogunleye Street. Upon realizing that security forces were closing in, the kidnappers abandoned their post and fled into the surrounding swamps, leaving Mrs. Abel behind unharmed.
Disturbing details emerged from the victim's account, suggesting a sophisticated and ongoing criminal operation. Mrs. Abel reported that around 15 people were taken to the hideout and that kidnappers were systematically releasing victims upon ransom payment. Shockingly, she also indicated that some of the initially abducted individuals were allegedly working with the kidnappers, highlighting the complex nature of the syndicate.