By Duchess Ifeoluwa
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested two suspected logistics suppliers believed to be aiding kidnappers operating around the Ilu-Abo axis of the state, while also dismissing reports that bandits were arrested at the Akure Airport.
The Command said the suspects, identified as Alhassan Muhammad, 20, and Faruq Muhammad Sanni, 25, both residents of Sabon-Sango area of Akure, were apprehended on March 15, 2026, following credible intelligence provided by a concerned resident of the Ilu-Abo community.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Abayomi Jimoh, the police said the information indicated that one of the suspects, a commercial motorcyclist, had been assisting kidnappers by procuring and delivering food items and other essential supplies to their hideouts in forested areas around Ilu-Abo and neighbouring communities.
According to the police, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad immediately acted on the intelligence by mobilising to the location and carrying out a targeted operation, which led to the arrest of the two suspects.
Other members of the criminal syndicate reportedly fled into the surrounding forest upon sighting the approaching police operatives.
Preliminary investigations, the Command said, revealed that the suspects had been playing supportive roles in sustaining the operations of kidnappers terrorising communities within the area by supplying them with food and other logistics.
The suspects are currently in custody and are said to have made useful confessional statements that are assisting the police in expanding their investigation and tracking down other members of the gang still at large.
The police said efforts have been intensified to dismantle the entire kidnapping network responsible for criminal activities in the area, adding that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigation.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Lawal, commended members of the Ilu-Abo community for their vigilance and cooperation, noting that the timely information provided by residents played a critical role in the success of the operation.
The police reiterated that community collaboration remains essential in combating crime and urged residents to continue providing credible and actionable information to security agencies, assuring the public that all information received would be treated with strict confidentiality.
Meanwhile, the Command has also debunked reports circulating on some media platforms claiming that four bandits were arrested at the Akure Airport.
According to the police, no such incident occurred within the airport premises and there was no security breach at the facility.
The Command explained that the operation carried out by its operatives was based on intelligence regarding suspected kidnappers around the Eleyewo axis of Akure, and that the two suspects arrested were logistics suppliers linked to kidnapping activities rather than bandits operating at the airport.
The police therefore urged members of the public to disregard the reports suggesting that bandits were arrested at the airport, describing such claims as false, misleading and capable of causing unnecessary panic among residents.
However, in a separate statement issued on March 15, 2026, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) disclosed that four suspected bandits were apprehended within the vicinity of Akure Airport during a coordinated security operation involving aviation security personnel and other security agencies.
According to the statement signed by FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, the suspects were apprehended following a distress alert that suspicious individuals had been sighted behind the airport perimeter towards the Eleyewo community.
FAAN said security personnel comprising the agency’s Aviation Security unit, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force and other local security outfits launched a joint search operation in response to the alert.
During the operation, some individuals were reportedly seen attempting to flee the area, while four suspects were eventually apprehended by the joint security team and handed over to the Police Area Command for further interrogation.
FAAN commended the swift collaboration among aviation security personnel, the military, the police and local security groups, including the Amotekun Corps and community vigilantes, whose joint efforts led to the successful operation.
The authority noted that the development underscores the importance of strengthening airport perimeter protection, adding that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and with the backing of the Presidency under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has accelerated the provision of modern perimeter fencing and enhanced security infrastructure at airports across the country.
FAAN said work had already commenced in phases to ensure that airports under its management are better secured against unlawful access and other security threats.
The agency reassured the travelling public and host communities of its unwavering commitment to maintaining the safety and security of all airport facilities nationwide.
