The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said six individuals have been arrested in connection with the recent horrific incident in Oke-Ode, which killed 15 people, including a village head.
Ojo made the announcement while speaking to press at the command headquarters in Ilorin on Friday, saying the suspects were detained as a result of the command’s and tactical teams’ enhanced operations.
The CP also revealed that Sanni Gbadamosi, who allegedly orchestrated the kidnapping of his cousin in Ajase-Ipo and demanded a ransom of N120,000, was traced down and detained in Kano State using the command’s modern digital intelligence system.
In another incident, the commissioner stated that a motorcycle technician named Muhammadu Jalo of Bode Sadu allegedly cut his customer’s head with a machete following a violent disagreement.
He claims that the suspect is currently in jail and has confessed to the crime.
Ojo also revealed that a 15-year-old kid named Falade Ebenezer had been arrested for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girl in an unfinished structure.
He stated that the suspect’s mother reported the matter to the police after the victim described her ordeal.
“The suspect has confessed to the crime and will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation,” Ojo added.
The commissioner explained that normalcy has gradually returned to Oke-Ode, Babanla, and other crisis-prone communities in the state as a result of security measures implemented by the government and security services.
“Today, Friday, is a market day in Oke-Ode, and it was full. A whole brigade is on the ground, so people have started returning to their homes. Everyone is now vigilant.
“I learned someone was arrested in the market today because people suspected his movements,” he said.
The police chief blamed the surge in kidnapping across the state on the activities of informants and the recruitment of young boys by kidnappers with monetary inducements.
But we are not relenting in our efforts; we will fight them to a standstill. I want to plead with everyone to be security conscious now,” he said.
Ojo bemoaned the refusal of families of kidnapped victims to report incidents to the police, which had continued to hinder the command’s ability to track down the perpetrators using digital and technical tools.
“The problem is that when your relative is in the hands of the kidnappers, they will threaten that if you tell the police, they will kill the victim.
“So, because of that, many people will not give the police information. They prefer to secretly go and pay ransom without telling the police. That’s why we are encouraging people to speak out,” Ojo concluded.
The CP reminded citizens that the command, in concert with other security agencies, remained committed to removing criminal elements and restoring long-term stability throughout the state.
“About kidnappers recruiting people, yes, definitely, they entice them. They have cheap money to give. That’s what they do. They promise, they give, and they entice them.
“We discovered that most of the problems security agents have in Kwara are that there are too many informants for the kidnappers.
