‘I Accepted My Fate’: Rescued Tech Officer Relives Ogun Forest Kidnap Horror

​An annual vacation turned into a waking nightmare for an Edo-based Information Technology officer, Temiloluwa, who has recounted how she prepared her soul for eternity after being dragged into the notorious Ogbere forest by heavily armed bandits.

​Temiloluwa, alongside four other abducted travelers, was liberated during a high-stakes, coordinated assault by Operation Kosaye—a joint security task force bridging Ogun and Lagos states. The rescue, which she describes as an absolute miracle, occurred amidst a fierce jungle gunbattle that sent her captors fleeing into the brush.

​The Ambush and the Blood trail

​The ordeal began at approximately 4:00 PM on Thursday, June 25, as Temiloluwa and two senior colleagues were journeying from Edo State to Lagos. While navigating the Ijebu East Local Government Area axis of the highway, an ambush shattered the afternoon peace.

​”We suddenly heard gunshots everywhere,” Temiloluwa remembered, speaking from the safety of the Police Training School in Iperu-Remo. The sudden eruption of gunfire triggered a chain-reaction pileup as desperate motorists attempted to reverse and escape.

​”In the confusion, our vehicle collided with another one. I hit my head against the front seat, and one of my teeth came off.”

​While their driver managed to slip away into the brush, an engineer traveling with Temiloluwa made a split-second decision to stay behind. Refusing to abandon her as she bled heavily from her facial injuries, he too was captured.

​The victims were systematically stripped of their cash, jewelry, and wristwatches before being marched on a grueling, four-hour forced trek deep into the dense Ogbere jungle. Once stationed at a makeshift camp, the kidnappers demanded a staggering ₦20 million ransom from their terrified families.

​A Prayer for Paradise

​As the hours ticked away in the damp forest, Temiloluwa confessed that her injuries and the volatile nature of her captors led her to believe she would never leave the jungle alive.

ADVERTISEMENT

​”I had already accepted that I would not survive,” she admitted. “I had even prayed to God to grant me access to His kingdom if I died. I prayed for the repose of my spirit in paradise.”

​That resignation was shattered on Friday evening by the sudden, deafening roar of tactical gunfire. Unbeknownst to the hostages, Operation Kosaye operatives had tracked the cell deep into the interior. As bullets flew, the kidnappers panicked and scattered, leaving the victims to dive for cover.

​”One of us eventually gathered enough courage to look around and discovered it was the police,” Temiloluwa said. “That was the last thing I ever expected.”

​Changing the Narrative on Policing

​The successful operation has sparked a profound shift in perspective for the survivors. Another rescued victim, Mr. Jimoh Gbadamosi, highly commended the swift tactical intervention of the joint forces, noting that coordinated operations are proving to be the antidote to the highway banditry plaguing the region.

​Temiloluwa used her survival story to advocate heavily for the men and women who pulled her from the brink of death, urging both the Federal and State Governments to completely overhaul the remuneration and logistical support given to frontline officers.

​”We have always believed the police were not doing enough, but when I came out of the bush and saw the officers in their numbers, I was speechless,” she said, noting that the team has provided medical attention and trauma care since their extraction. “These are the people putting their lives on the line so that the rest of us can sleep peacefully. Government must continue to boost their morale so they can do even more for Nigerians.”