The Ondo State Police Command has arrested four suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate operating in the Ilu-Abo area of Akure North Local Government Area.
The command’s spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed the arrests in a statement released to journalists in Akure on Thursday. He said residents of the Ilu-Abo community apprehended one of the suspects, identified as Abenaguna Muhammad, after finding him in possession of suspected criminal charms.
According to Jimoh, vigilant community members acted on credible intelligence on Thursday, 29 January 2026, and handed the suspect over to police officers for further investigation.
He explained that interrogation of Muhammad led to the arrest of three additional suspects linked to the same syndicate. Jimoh said the suspect confessed to belonging to a kidnapping gang operating along the Ala and Ilu-Abo axis and admitted involvement in a recent violent attack and abduction in the area.
The suspect also revealed that the syndicate was led by a man known as Lanre, popularly called “Lanre Tomato”, alongside two others identified as Ojo and Pius.
Jimoh recalled that armed men attacked the Ilu-Abo community on 25 January 2026, shooting one resident, abducting another and injuring two others. He said the incident prompted the police to intensify security surveillance in the area.
The police spokesperson added that the suspects remain in custody while investigations continue.