Operatives of the Ekiti State Police Command have foiled a planned kidnapping operation in the state, arresting two suspected kidnappers and cattle rustlers while recovering two stolen cows allegedly meant to finance the criminal plot.
The suspects, identified as Mumini Muhammed, 23, and Kehinde Oseni, 22, were apprehended during an intelligence-led operation jointly carried out by operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), officers from the Ayede-Ekiti Divisional Police Headquarters in Oye Local Government Area and local vigilantes.
The arrest, according to the Command, took place at about 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, in a forest along the Are–Afao Road/Ayede-Ekiti axis following credible intelligence on the suspects’ activities.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, disclosed that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects had concluded plans to kidnap a resident of Ayede-Ekiti before security operatives intercepted them.
The police said the duo was arrested while attempting to sell two stolen cows for ₦1.5 million, with the proceeds allegedly earmarked to bankroll the planned abduction.
According to the statement, the suspects confessed during interrogation to their involvement in the crime and also provided investigators with useful information that could lead to the arrest of other members of the criminal syndicate.
The Command added that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing gang members and recover firearms and other dangerous weapons believed to be in the group’s possession.
“The suspects confessed to the commission of the crime and made other useful confessional statements, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the gang and recover the firearms and other weapons in their possession. They will be charged to court immediately after the investigation is concluded,” the statement said.
The police further disclosed that the rightful owner of the recovered cattle had been identified and the two cows had since been released to him.
Reaffirming the Command’s resolve to sustain the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes, the Commissioner of Police, CP Micheal Falade, said intelligence-driven policing would continue to be deployed to dismantle criminal networks operating in the state.
The police commissioner also appealed to residents to remain vigilant, law-abiding and continue to partner with security agencies by providing timely, credible and actionable information that would assist in preventing crime and enhancing public safety across Ekiti State.