Efforts ongoing to rescue abducted Ogun Gateway ICT poly students: Police

Gunmen have reportedly abducted some students of the Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, Ogun State, following an attack on their residence in Ipara, Remo North Local Government Area on Wednesday.
The Ogun State police command confirmed the abduction, saying security agencies have launched a coordinated operation to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
In a statement on Thursday, Oluseyi Babaseyi, the command’s spokesman, said the incident occurred at a private hostel in Ipara on Wednesday.
“The Ogun State Police Command is aware of the abduction incident at a private hostel in the Ipara area on the night of Wednesday, July 29, 2026,” he said.
He said that immediately after the distress report was received, the police and other security agencies activated a coordinated operational response, deploying tactical teams and intelligence assets to the area.
“Rescue operations are ongoing to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the apprehension of those responsible,” Mr Babaseyi said.
The command appealed to parents, students, and the general public to remain calm and disregard any misinformation capable of undermining the ongoing operations.
In a statement on Thursday, Matthew Francis Sonayon, the spokesperson for the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, said five students were abducted from their hostel in a remote area.
He said, “At approximately 7:45 p.m., suspected armed bandits attacked a private student hostel located along Paraga Road, Ipara. The attack lasted for approximately 30 minutes.
“During the attack, the assailants fired gunshots; however, no student lost their life. By the grace of God, several students escaped through the POP ceiling, while others were unable to flee.
“We can confirm that five students were abducted during the incident. The matter has been officially reported to the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies, and we are confident that immediate efforts are underway to ensure the safe rescue of the affected students.”
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette

States
Independence: NBA urges Nigerians to expect better future
The NBA said that ordinary Nigerians should be deriving benefit from the subsidy removal rather than hardship.

Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Education
NABTEB announces release of certificates for candidates up to 2024
Mr Mohammed said the certificates were ready for collection by successful candidates.

Lagos
2027: Hamzat pledges safer, cleaner Lagos
The manifesto comprises seven pillars, 31 chapters and 100 pledges.

Africa
Ghanaian police arrest 40-year-old man with 91 parcels of suspected hemp
The suspect was arrested on Thursday.

Heading 2
Plateau: Alake calls for establishment of army battalion, stronger enforcement to curb illegal mining
The minister described enforcement as the most effective approach to tackling illegal mining.

NationWide
Obasanjo cautions against uncontrolled AI, urges local solutions
Mr Obasanjo cited concerns about AI-generated content and its potential to manipulate and distort identities.

Heading 5
NSE seeks partnerships to advance engineering development
The president said the NSE was ready to deploy its technical expertise to support the proposed partnerships.





