Kidnappers operating in Ogun staged a daring rescue bid for their arrested colleagues on Wednesday, but they paid for it, police said.

Two of the arrested kidnappers and one of their ‘colleagues’ were killed in the shooting showdown with a police team of Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS).

The suspects, who were arrested at Ijebu Waterside and were being moved to the command headquarters in Abeokuta by the team, were said to have been caught in a crossfire between policemen and their gang members, who laid ambush between J4 and Abigi, in a bid to rescue them.

According to The Nation, four members of the gang allegedly responsible for the kidnap of three persons, including the son of a Chief Imam on Sallah Day, were arrested after they came out of the creek where they had been hiding.

Although the police succeeded in rescuing the victims on August 16 and arrested one of the suspects, they were forced to retreat after some cops sustained injuries in the operation.

Police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said detectives continued to trail the criminals who were hiding in the creek and their efforts paid off on Wednesday morning when four gang members came out.

“They came out probably to relocate to another place, not knowing that they were being trailed. The police swooped on them and nabbed them. Two cut to size guns, four live cartridges, a cylinder, one boat engine and assorted charms were recovered from them.

“While the arrested suspects were being taken to the command headquarters in Abeokuta by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), their other colleagues, who had laid ambush for them between Abigi and J4, attacked the team with a view of freeing their arrested members.

“This resulted in a crossfire between the gang and the police. At the end, two of the arrested suspects and one of the attackers were fatally injured. One pump action gun belonging to the attackers and three expended cartridges were recovered on the scene of the ambush, while some of the attackers escaped with bullet injuries.

“The command hereby takes this opportunity to appeal to the public, especially hospitals, to report anybody seen with gunshot injury to the police in their area.”

Three killed as ‘kidnappers’ move to free arrested colleagues