Oluwatoyin Malik, Author at Tribune Online

The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Johnson Adenola, has announced that 11 suspects are currently in custody in connection with the kidnapping of two women and the murder of a farmer in Ilero Town, Kajola Local Government Area, over two consecutive days. CP Adenola made the disclosure on Sunday during a visit to the town for an on-the-spot assessment of the incident and a stakeholders' meeting held at the Area Command office in Iganna. Present at the meeting were the Elero of Ilero, Oba Sakariyau Wasiu Oyedele; the Amunijio of Ijioland, Oba Mudashiru Olawale Oyewobi; the Bajigan of Ilaji-Ile, H.R.H. Alhaji Oyeleye Lawal; and the Balogun of Iganna, Alhaji Kareem Adebare, who represented the Sabiganna of Iganna, along with other traditional rulers from surrounding towns in Iwajowa and Kajola Local Government Areas. Also in attendance were the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Ekanem Usen; Assistant Commissioner, State Intelligence Department, Martins Bamigboye; Area Commanders; Divisional Police Officers; Chairmen of Iwajowa and Kajola LGAs, Honourables Oyewumi Muritala Abiodun and Mustapha Akeem Olawale; Secretary of Miyetti Allah in Iwajowa LGA, Jubril Umar; Seriki Odo Fulani, Mahmoud Yusuf; and the Ilero Community Chairman, Mr. Sunday Ademola Bamigbade. According to the police, seven of the suspects were arrested in connection with the kidnapping, while four others were linked to the murder case. The Nigerian Tribune gathered that last Wednesday, six armed men—reportedly of Fulani origin—stormed the shop of an Igbo businessman dealing in agro-chemical products and abducted two young female employees around 8 p.m. Reports indicated that the same group had previously attempted to kidnap the businessman two or three times but failed. While the community was still reeling from the abduction, two men—also said to be of Fulani descent—attacked a settlement in Alaparun Village, which belongs to Ilero, and hacked a farmer, Jofo Abdullahi, to death on Thursday. The two incidents sparked a protest on Friday by Ilero youths, who condemned the acts and demanded the unconditional release of the abducted women. CP Adenola, who sympathized with the community, expressed deep sorrow over the incidents. He said that upon receiving the information, he immediately dispatched the Anti-Kidnapping Squad to Ilero to work alongside the Divisional Police Headquarters, personnel from other security agencies, and local vigilantes in search of the victims. He informed attendees at the meeting that the Oyo Command had been working tirelessly to apprehend the culprits. ALSO READ: Delta activist seeks FG’s intervention in Urhobo’s expansionist agenda "I’ve engaged every relevant stakeholder—traditional rulers, youth leaders, the Fulani community, herders, farmers, and other security agencies. We've taken steps, and we already have descriptions of the suspects. We are confident the victims will soon regain their freedom," he said. He added that the farmer’s murder the next day further saddened him, especially after seeing the gruesome image of the victim. CP Adenola assured the gathering that the police were deeply concerned and would take decisive actions to address the situation. He urged the town’s youths to suspend protests to avoid hijack by hoodlums, encouraging them to instead collaborate with security agencies. “We need residents' cooperation to solve these issues, as they know the terrain better than the officers posted to their communities,” he said. He disclosed that additional personnel from the Monitoring Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Squad, and PMF 72, Ago-Are, had been deployed to Ilero four days earlier. In addition to rescuing the victims, he said the command would soon apprehend the perpetrators. He also commended other security operatives, including the Amotekun Corps, Agro Rangers Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Vigilante Group of Nigeria, and local hunters, urging continued collaboration. He reiterated his commitment to restoring peace and order in Ilero. The Elero of Ilero, Oba Oyedele, expressed the community's pain and sorrow over the incidents, saying he had made efforts to calm the protesting youths. Recalling two previous kidnapping cases in 2024, the monarch urged the police to take bold and swift steps to rescue the victims. NIGERIAN TRIBUNE