Police apprehend 3 kidnappers, rescues victim in Osun

Three suspected kidnappers were on Tuesday arrested by the Osun state police command in connection with the abduction of a popular businesswoman in the state, Alhaja Falilat Oyetunji, popularly known as Ero Arike.

One of the arrested kidnappers was a staff of the businesswoman who was said to have engaged the services of other men to commit the crime.

The kidnappers who are presently being quizzed by the State Investigations Department of the Command are said to have perpetrated the act at Olorunda village, Iragbiji of Boripe local government area of the state after the businesswoman got to her mother’s house residence.

The evil perpetrators who were armed with guns, knives, and axe to carry out the act, were however apprehended by officers of the anti- kidnapping squad of the command.

It was learnt that the abductors were nabbed by the police, 20 minutes after the act was carried out by them.

While narrating her ordeal of the abduction, the abductee said, ” I was kidnapped by two armed gunmen inside my mum’s house and taken through a bush before some policemen came to my rescue.”

“I had been having strange feelings for the past few days and I had reported to the police. On Tuesday, when I wanted to visit my mother at Olorunda village, Iragbiji, I contacted the police to provide me security.

“Immediately I got to my mother’s house and I was greeting everybody, two young men who covered their faces and armed with guns suddenly came from nowhere and gripped me. They whisked me away into the bush and I was shouting.”

“Luckily for me, the police came on time and they chased the kidnappers. They shot the person that was carrying me on his shoulder. The other suspects fled but some of them were arrested.

“One of the arrested suspects is an indigene of my hometown, Iragbiji. Two others are either Fulani or Hausa. I must thank the police for their prompt response. I want to appeal to them to please do thorough investigations and prosecute the suspects.

Reacting to the development, the state police command, Public Relations Officer, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, in a statement in Osogbo confirmed the incident explaining that,” it was on the early hours of Saturday, 6th August 2022 that an informant, (name withheld) came to inform Mrs Fasilat Oyetunji, that he saw some people, led by the former staff of her ERO ARIKE company, one Basiru, from Iragbiji was arranging and planning how to kidnap her, then, she came to inform the police about it.”

“The informant was asked to play along with the kidnappers. Today, when consummating their plan men from anti-kidnapping squad swung into action and nabbed the three suspects while their driver disappeared with the vehicle they brought for the operation.”

Mrs Opalola who stated that some weapons were recovered from them, hinted further that, Bashiru. One of the suspects was taken to Osun State Teaching Hospital Osogbo for treatment as a result of an injury.

She, however, assured that the law will take its course after the completion of investigations on the case and called on members of the public to always be on alert to inform the police about strange and suspicious movements in their environments.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE