In a major blow to criminal networks in Ondo State, the Police Command has dismantled a suspected kidnapping syndicate, arresting ten individuals and recovering ransom cash along the Ondo Road axis in Akure.
The breakthrough, which occurred on February 23, 2026, resulted from a high-stakes intelligence-led raid. The operation combined the expertise of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Section with specialized visiting-PMF personnel—units recently deployed by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, to bolster security within the state.
The Suspects and Recovered Items
The police identified the ten suspects, ranging in age from 18 to 28, as: Muritala Muhammed, Mustapha Adamu, Usman Ibrahim, Amisu Aruna, Asiru Abdulasis, Abduliu Sanni, Ibrahim Suraju, Noah Isiaku, Abdulahi Suraju, and Arabi Hamet.
During the sweep, tactical teams recovered an operational motorcycle used by the gang and a significant sum of ransom money. Intriguingly, investigators noted that a portion of the recovered cash consisted of burnt currency notes, which have been marked as forensic exhibits to trace their origin.
Confessions and Ongoing Investigation
According to DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the State Police Public Relations Officer, the suspects are currently in custody and have provided “useful confessional statements” detailing their specific roles within the kidnapping hierarchy.
”The Command is working assiduously to unravel the full scope of this syndicate’s operations,” DSP Jimoh stated. “We are currently processing all exhibits and are on the trail of other accomplices who may still be at large.”
A Call for Community Vigilance
The Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, psc(+), mnips, lauded the synergy between the police and the public, emphasizing that security is a “collective responsibility.” He urged residents to move beyond passive observation by strengthening local vigilante groups to complement official law enforcement efforts.
CP Lawal reassured the public that the Command remains resolute in its mission to sanitize the state of heinous crimes, reminding citizens that timely information is the most potent weapon against the kidnap-for-ransom
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