POLICE ARREST FIVE FOR KIDNAPPING SCHOOL CHILDREN IN ONDO, RECOVER N251,000 RANSOM

Read Time:1 Minute, 53 Second

By ‘Sefiu Ajape

The Ondo State Police Command on Thursday said it had arrested five men who allegedly abducted two school children in Ore, the headquarters of Odigbo Local Area of the state.

The command disclosed that the operation was carried out by its Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad after the suspects had allegedly carried out the dastardly act and collected ransom.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, in a statement, said the suspects are Taofeek Lukman, 23; Blessing Saturday, 27; Peter Moses, 25; Sunday Isaac, 23; and Sanusi Dan Asabe, 37.

He said, “Following the kidnapping of two brothers, Jehu, 10, and Yohana, 5, who were abducted on their way to school in the Jerry Sawmill Area of Ore on May 12, 2026, the children’s father, Andrew Yohana, reported the incident to the police at about 9:00 a.m., triggering an immediate intelligence-driven investigation by detectives.

“Police investigations, aided by technical intelligence and tracking analysis, led operatives to the Alaba Area of Ore, where two suspects, Taofeek Lukman, 23, and Blessing Saturday, 27, were arrested.

“Further investigations uncovered three additional suspects identified as Peter Moses, 25; Sunday Isaac, 23; and Sanusi Dan Asabe, 37, all believed to be members of the criminal syndicate.”

Jimoh noted that during the operation, detectives of the command recovered N251,000 suspected to be part of the ransom paid by the victims’ family before the children regained freedom.

The police said efforts were ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the gang and recover additional exhibits connected to the crime, adding that the suspects had made confessional statements revealing their individual roles in the kidnapping and would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.

Commending the operatives for the successful operation, the state Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, lauded the professionalism and intelligence-led tactics employed by the anti-kidnapping squad.

Ohagwu reaffirmed the “command’s determination to sustain the crackdown on kidnapping and violent crimes across the state, assuring residents that the safety of lives and property remains a top priority.”

On Tuesday, the Edo State Police Command arrested three suspected kidnappers in Jattu, Edo North.

The arrest followed intelligence-led operations linked to a recent abduction case in the area.