Police in Ogun State have arrested a couple, Larry Adewunmi and Funmilayo Okereke, and one Adebowale Sanni, over the abduction and killing of a popular hotelier in Ijebu-Ode area of the state, Chief Abayomi Smith.
The deceased was kidnapped by suspected gunmen on 28 September 2020 at about 7:30 am, at Anifowose Estate, Igbeba, Ijebu Ode.
The Ogun Police, in a press release, by its image-maker, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, stated that the suspects were arrested after two years of unrelenting investigation into the incident.
Oyeyemi explained that men of the anti-kidnapping unit were mobilized upon the abduction of the hotelier, while all efforts to get the victim out of captivity proved abortive.
The Police Public Relations Officer said that despite the fact that the victim’s family paid a ransom of ₦15 million naira to the abductors.
He said, “Since then, police operatives have not relented in their efforts to fish out those behind the devilish act.
“The efforts of the SP Taiwo Opadiran, led team yielded positive results in September this year when they got wind of a plan by the hoodlums to strike again, this time, the wife and son of Otunba Ajayi Smith were their target.
“The team, having got the intelligence report, embarked on technical surveillance for the suspects, consequence upon which one of them was traced to Ikeji Arakeji in Osun state, where the 55 years old Adebowale Sanni was apprehended.
“On interrogation, he confessed to having been on the trail of Yeye Olusola Roseline Ajayi, the wife of their earlier victim, Otunba Ajayi Smith, in order to kidnap her, on the order of Larry Adebayo Adewumi the ring leader.
whose wife Olufunmilayo happened to be an employee of Otunba Ajayi Smith.
“He confessed further that it was Larry who described the location of the victim’s hotel and his other business outfits to him with instruction that if they succeeded in kidnapping the woman and her son, the two of them must be killed after collecting ransom in order not to leave any trait, just as they did to her husband two years ago.
“His confession led to the arrest of Larry’s wife, Olufunmilayo, who was a manager at the victim’s building materials shops.
“Larry himself was arrested three days after, he initially denied having anything to do with the kidnap of Otunba Abayomi Ajayi Smith, but when he came into confrontation with Adebowale Sanni, his accomplice, he knew immediately that the game is up.”
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Police arrest couple, one other over abduction, killing of hotelier in Ogun
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