The Oyo State command of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, has arrested 19 suspected kidnappers among whom were 10 suspects linked with the kidnap of Prof. Adigun Agbaje, former deputy vice-chancellor, University of Ibadan, and the killing of an Ogbomoso hotelier, Mr. Olugbenga Owolabi, and a student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso Rachael Opadele, .
The hotelier and the student killed by their abductors on August 2, 2022 after collecting N5 million ransom.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP. Adewale Osifeso, said that the suspects were arrested after kidnapping another victim, one Alhaji Waheed Hameed, a cattle dealer on September 16.
Osifeso said the kidnappers, who have been terrorising people of Ogbomoso, intercepted and attacked Hameed at a desolate spot, while armed with AK-47 Riffles and other dangerous weapons and later whisked their victim away into a thick forest.
He said that the suspects later contacted the victim’s relative and demanded for N1 million ransom before he could be released.
The Police spokesperson said that when the command team got wind of the incident, it deployed all available resources in rescuing the victim unhurt with his abductors arrested.
His words: “Sequel to this directive, operatives attached to the Monitoring Unit swung into action and in the process of combing the thick forest alongside local hunters and members of Vigilance group, they stumbled upon where the victim was held captive and rescued him unhurt.
“The victim during debriefing, narrated his ordeal in the hands of his abductors and explained that while the kidnappers were negotiating his ransom, they claimed responsibility for the death of an Ogbomosho hotelier, Mr. Gbenga Owolabi, threatening that he (the abductee) would suffer a similar fate should his ransom payment process get thwarted by involving the police.
“The victim also gave other useful information to the Police operatives and this led to the arrest of three members of the kidnapping syndicate.”
Also, crack detectives arrested 10 suspected linked with the kidnap of Professor Agbaje on October 28 on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway around Dominion University.
He said that the victim was released on October 31 after ransom was allegedly paid, while a policeman lost his live during the incident.
Osifeso said that items recovered from the suspects included four AK-47 Rifles,75 K-47 live ammunition, two pairs of military camouflage and N7.5 million cash.
He said the suspects had confessed to the crime, adding that manhunt for other members of the criminal syndicate continues.
Pix: Professor Agbaje