By Duchess Ifeoluwa
Ondo State Police Command has arrested four suspected kidnappers allegedly linked to the January 26 kidnapping and violent attack along Liberty Avenue in Ilu-Abo, Akure, which led to the death of a resident, John Ofuduwa.
The police said the suspects were apprehended during an intelligence-driven operation carried out by operatives of the command’s tactical teams in collaboration with the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the command said the arrests followed credible information that suspected kidnappers were lodging in a hotel located behind Ado Garage in Akure.
According to the police, the operatives swiftly moved to the location to verify the intelligence and successfully apprehended four suspects identified as Abdullahi Ismaila, 20; Babanyara Japi, 25; Babuga Abubakar, 25; and Adama Usman, 15.
The command said the suspects were found in possession of ₦1.4 million suspected to be ransom proceeds from kidnapping activities.
“The money has since been recovered and taken into police custody as exhibits,” the statement said.
Police further disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects confessed to participating in the crime and are believed to be members of a criminal syndicate operating around the Eleyowo, Ilu-Abo and Ogbese axis of the state.
The victim who was abducted during the incident, Oladeinde Tomilola, was later released and has reportedly identified the suspects as those involved in the crime.
According to the police, the victim also expressed appreciation to the command for its response and efforts that led to the arrest of the suspects.
The command said investigations have commenced to determine the full extent of the suspects’ involvement in kidnapping, armed robbery and other related crimes within the state and possibly beyond.
It added that efforts were ongoing to track down other members of the criminal network and ascertain whether the suspects were connected to other previously reported kidnapping cases in the state.
The police reiterated their commitment to combating kidnapping, robbery, cultism and other violent crimes across Ondo State, assuring residents that intelligence-driven strategies would continue to be deployed to deny criminals safe haven.
The Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, also reaffirmed the command’s collaboration with the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, and other security stakeholders to sustain peace and security in the state.
The command urged members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with credible and timely information that would assist in preventing crime and apprehending offenders.
It also advised victims of criminal activities to make themselves available for debriefing, noting that such cooperation would greatly assist ongoing efforts to combat crime and criminality in the state.
