Utweets
Men of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested two commercial motorcyclists who supply food items to kidnappers hiding in forests across the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Wilfred Afolabi, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, said the arrest of the suspects and their collaborators marked a significant victory in the fight against kidnapping.
The police boss described it as part of ongoing efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.
Recently, Ondo State has experienced repeated attacks from kidnappers, who have abducted several persons and demanded ransom.
However, Afolabi stated that the police, with the assistance of other security agencies, had made significant progress, including the recent arrest of a 21-year-old suspect, Abdullahi Mallam Bala, who was terrorising the state capital.
He explained that Bala was found wandering in the bush, and when questioned, he could not provide a satisfactory explanation for his presence there. Following his arrest, investigations revealed that Bala was working in collaboration with a syndicate involving Ibrahim Dan and Alahu Umar.
“Umar had earlier in the year been arrested by the police for his involvement in kidnapping cases recorded in the state. He is currently in police custody,” Afolabi said.
The police commissioner further disclosed that a 39-year-old Okada rider, Kolawole Sunday, was arrested during the investigation. He confessed to providing food supplies for the kidnappers and acting as a spy for them.
Further investigations led to the arrest of two more suspects: Umar Abubakar Sanda and Yusuf Almanac. According to Afolabi, Umar Abubakar admitted that he was responsible for guiding kidnapped victims into the forest.
Additionally, the police arrested another suspect, Lekan Temitope, also known as Legelege, who worked as a motorcyclist. He provided transportation assistance to the kidnappers and purchased food and other supplies for them.
“On March 14, 2025, the police, with the assistance of vigilantes and local hunters, entered the forest and apprehended two more suspects—Rilwan Saliku, 45, and Usman Iyeakwu, 19—at Ipele over their involvement in kidnapping activities,” the CP stated.
“Upon searching Saliku, the sum of three million, five hundred thousand naira (N3.5m) was found on him. However, he claimed to be a POS operator.”
The Police Commissioner assured the people of Ondo State that the police were more determined than ever to flush out criminals from the state.
He also expressed appreciation to the Inspector General of Police for providing the necessary equipment to aid the police in tackling criminal activities…CONTINUE READING>>
