The Oyo State Police has arrested five members of the kidnapping gang operating in Ipapo, Okaka communities in Itesiwaju Local Government Area.

The suspects were arrested at a local rendezvous within the Okaka community where they were found sharing money collected as ransom from the family of the kidnapped victim prior to his release.

With the arrest of the suspects who are currently in custody assisting investigation, the Command said, it has successfully dismantled the kidnapping syndicate which has been terrorising the area.

The spokesman of the Command, Adewale Osifeso, a Chief Superintendent of Police confirmed the arrest on Friday.

He said: “On June 26, 2025, at about 23:00 hours, the residence of one Timothy at Mokorede, Ipapo, in the Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, was attacked by a group of six armed men. During the invasion, the armed men forcibly abducted Timothy and took him to an unknown destination.

“Upon receiving a distress call regarding the kidnapping incident, the Divisional Police Officer, Ipapo Divisional Police Headquarters promptly mobilized detectives and Divisional Patrol team in conjunction with other security stakeholders including members of the WNSN (Amotekun corps), loval hunters, Fulani vigilante and embarked on a search and rescue operation.

“The incident was also reported to neighbouring police formations to facilitate a swift rescue and apprehension of the perpetrators.

“On June 30, 2025, at about 0940Hrs, following a meticulous intelligence-led investigation and substantial cooperation from public-spirited individuals, police operatives from Okaka Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Okaka, apprehended five members of a kidnapping gang.

“The arrest was made at a local rendezvous within the Okaka community, where the suspects were found sharing money collected as ransom from the family of the kidnapped victim prior to his release.

He gave the names of the arrested suspects to include: Usman Abubakar, 30; Umar Abubakar, 21; Abdulkadir Sulaiman, 22; Abdullahi Naira, 23 and Isiaku Saboyaro, 30.

Osifeso added that, during the operation, a cash sum of N4,618,700.00, being part of the ransom collected from the victim’s family, was recovered.

“In a breakthrough during interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime, volunteering details on how it was planned and executed, including the roles played by each member of the gang.

“They further revealed that a total of six individuals were involved in the kidnapping, including their gang leader, known as ‘Wetti,’ who remains at large and is currently being actively pursued by the Command.

“Investigation into the kidnapping case is ongoing, as the Command is working diligently to apprehend the remaining suspect involved in this heinous crime. The Command remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents in Oyo State and urges anyone with information about the gang leader or any other criminal occurrence to come forward”, Osifeso added. (The Nation)