Police, Amotekun nab four suspected kidnappers in Ondo
Operatives of the Tactical Team of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested four suspected kidnappers linked to a violent attack along Liberty Avenue in Ilu-Abo, Akure North Local Government
- Recover N1.4m suspected ransom from suspects
Operatives of the Tactical Team of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested four suspected kidnappers linked to a violent attack along Liberty Avenue in Ilu-Abo, Akure North Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects were apprehended during a coordinated intelligence-driven operation carried out in collaboration with the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as the Amotekun Corps.
Those arrested were identified as Abdullahi Ismaila (20), Babanyara Japi (25), Babuga Abubakar (25) and Adama Usman (15).
The violent attack, which occurred on January 26, 2026, resulted in the death of one John Ofuduwa, who was shot in the head at close range.
A female victim, Mrs Oladeinde Tomilola, the owner of a nursery and primary school, was also abducted during the incident.
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Mrs Tomilola was later released after her family reportedly paid a huge sum as ransom.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said the suspects were arrested following credible intelligence received by the command on their whereabouts.
Abayomi explained that security operatives gathered information that the suspected kidnappers were lodging in a hotel located behind Ado Garage in Akure, leading to their swift arrest.
He added that during the operation, the police recovered the sum of N1.4 million from the suspects, believed to be proceeds from ransom obtained through kidnapping activities.
According to him, the money has since been taken into police custody as exhibits while investigations continue.
"During the operation, the suspects were found in possession of the sum of One Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,400,000), strongly suspected to be proceeds of ransom obtained from kidnapping activities.
“The money has since been recovered and taken into police custody as exhibits.
"Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects confessed to their involvement in the crime and are members of a criminal syndicate operating around the Eleyowo, Ilu-Abo and Ogbese axis."
Furthermore, the victim, Oladeinde, was able to positively identify the suspects and has expressed appreciation to the Command for its swift response and efforts leading to their arrest," he said.
DSP Abayomi added that the Command had commenced a comprehensive investigation to determine the full extent of the suspects' involvement in kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal activities within and outside the state.
He noted that efforts were ongoing to track down other members of the criminal network and to establish whether the suspects were linked to other reported kidnapping incidents in the state.
The police spokesman, however, reiterated the Command's commitment to combating kidnapping, robbery, cultism and other violent crimes across Ondo State, assuring residents that all necessary operational and intelligence-driven strategies were being deployed to ensure criminals have no safe haven in the state.
