Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested two suspected kidnappers, Ridwan Salisu (45) and Umar Isyaku (19), recovering N3.6 million in cash from them.
The duo were apprehended after intelligence gathering. However, the suspects claimed the money was proceeds from their Point of Sale (PoS) business.
Ondo State, particularly Akure North Local Government Area, has witnessed a surge in kidnapping cases, with victims forced to pay hefty ransoms. A farmer, Olanrewaju Oyeleye, who reportedly paid N25 million to secure his release, alleged that the kidnappers have an extensive supply network within the forest.
Addressing journalists, Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, disclosed that two motorcyclists, identified as Lekan Temitope (alias Legelege) and Komolafe Sunday (alias Veego), who allegedly acted as informants and provided logistical support to kidnappers, have also been arrested.
Komolafe reportedly confessed to assisting kidnappers by supplying food to their victims while in captivity and receiving payments based on the number of abducted persons. His confession led to the arrest of two additional suspects, Umaru Abubakar Sanda and Yusuf Ahmadu, in Akunu-Akoko.
According to the police, Abubakar admitted to guarding victims in the forest where they were held.
Additionally, a notorious vandal, Samuel Friday, who has been jailed three times for tampering with electrical installations, has been re-arrested. The police caught Friday in the act of vandalizing a transformer in the Ilu-Abo, Ogbese area of the state.
Commissioner Afolabi revealed that Friday has been involved in vandalism since 2016 and sells stolen electrical cables to two alleged receivers, identified as Alhaji Abubakar (alias Abu Shisha) and Alhaji Sheu Sabo, both residing in Akure. The police have launched efforts to apprehend the suspected buyers.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has approved the deployment of technical equipment to Ondo State to combat kidnappings and other criminal activities. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has also pledged to provide necessary resources to strengthen the fight against crime.
Source: Linda Ikeji Blog