By Bukola Olamona

Men of the Ondo State Police command have apprehended twelve suspects including four kidnappers and their suspected logistics supplier.

The arrest was part of successes recorded by the force in the last one week.

Parading the suspects before newsmen in Akure, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Olutokunbo Afolabi, noted that among those arrested there were also one suspected armed robber, three cultists and two thieves.

According to him, one of the suspected notorious kidnappers, 30-year-old Abubakar Bamoh, was apprehended following intelligence reports that linked him to several kidnapping operations in Owo/Ose/Akoko axis of the state.

In a separate operation, the Police Commissioner announced the rescue of a kidnap victim, Semiu Ogunniyi, and the arrest of one of his abductors following a combined effort of police operatives and local hunters in Ikare-Akoko.

During the ensuing gun battle, several suspects were injured, while one identified as Babuga Muhammed, Ibrahim Umar and Paul Osanyinduro, who were allegedly operating in the Owo and Akoko areas.

CP Afolabi said, “the Ondo State Police command wishes to inform the general public of a significant breakthrough in the ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and related crimes within the state.

“In the early hours of today, at approximately 12:20, a combined tactical team of operatives from the Ondo State Police command and local hunters based in Ikare carried out a successful operation that led to the rescue of a kidnap victim and the arrest of one of the suspects involved in the abduction.

“The operation followed actionable intelligence regarding the movement of suspected kidnappers responsible for the abduction of one Ogunniyi Semiu ‘m’ on May 14, 2025, around Ikare in Akoko North-East Local Government Area.

“Acting on the intelligence, the joint team strategically laid an ambush in a forest area near Supare, believed to be a rendezvous point for the suspects who had demanded a ransom of ₦14 million.

“During the interception, the suspects engaged the operatives in a fierce gun duel. In the exchange, several of the suspects sustained serious gunshot injuries, while one of them—Babuga Muhammed ‘m’, from Igana, Iseyin, Oyo State—was apprehended.

“Crucially, the victim, Ogunniyi Semiu, was rescued alive and unhurt. No ransom was paid.

“The arrested suspect is currently receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at the State Specialist Hospital, while efforts are ongoing to track and apprehend the fleeing suspects who escaped with injuries. A combing operation resumed at daylight to ensure the arrest of the remaining gang members and recovery of any weapons or evidence from the area.”

In a similar case, The police boss said, ” The command  arrested three suspected Kidnappers who have confessed to their involvement in various kidnapping cases across the state.

“Acting on credible intelligence regarding the activities of one Abubakar Bamoh, male, aged 30 years, an indigene of Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Command swung into action and successfully apprehended the suspect at one of the Fulani camps in Igbara-Oke Mine, Ondo State.

“The suspect, Abubakar Bamoh, is alleged to be a major logistics provider for suspected kidnapping syndicates operating across state lines.

“Preliminary investigations and intelligence revealed that he played a significant role in providing logistical support in a kidnapping incident that occurred in Osun State, in which the victim was abducted and subsequently held hostage in a forest located in Igbara-Oke, Ondo State.