By Bukola Olamona
The Ondo State Police Command has apprehended a suspected member of a notorious kidnapping syndicate said to be terrorising travellers along major highways across the South-West Region.
According to a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Olushola Ayanlade, and made available to Metro Hope, the suspect, Abdullahi Ibrahim, aged 20, a resident of Ore, was arrested by police operatives following credible intelligence.
During interrogation, Ibrahim reportedly confessed to being part of a kidnapping gang responsible for several abductions along the Benin–Ore Expressway and other criminal operations on the Sagamu–Lagos Expressway.
He was said to have disclosed further that the gang operated across several southern states, strategically positioning themselves along state boundaries to evade security detection.
The statement added that his confession provided useful leads, which enabled operatives of the State Anti-Kidnapping Section (SAKS), Akure, to trace and arrest two other suspects linked to the syndicate in Benin City, Edo State.
The suspects are currently in custody and are said to be assisting investigators in tracking down other members of the gang believed to be operating between Lagos and Edo States.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adebowale Lawal, commended the operatives for their professionalism and diligence, assuring residents that the Command remains resolute in its mission to rid the state of violent criminals.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Ondo State Police Command to ensuring the safety of lives and property across the state.