Security operatives in Ondo state in conjunction with located hunters have arrested seven kidnap syndicate who have been terrorising the residents of Ajowa, Akunu and Auga Akoko in the Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo state.
The suspects were arrested on Friday after three of their victims escaped from kidnappers den and alerted some local hunters who also informed the security operatives in the area.
It was gathered that the kidnappers last Wednesday, abducted a secondary school teacher, Alhaji Jamiu Zakariyahu, who was coming from mosque around 8 pm.
Zakariyahu was bundled into a waiting vehicle and was dragged into the forest where they walked all through the night before getting to the kidnappers base.
According to a source, who disclosed that the abducted teacher explained that his face was covered all through the journey and met two other victims at the kidnappers’ den.
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“The victims were tied with ropes with their faces covered, while the abductors are negotiating for N10m ransom from the families of the victims.
The kidnappers reduced the ransom to N250,000 and waiting for the payment of the ransom before the victims could be released.
“But one of the victims was able to escape and met a local hunter who informed security operatives in the town and combed the forest which led to the arrest of the kidnapper.s”
He, however, expressed surprise over the arrest of the leader of the syndicate, Wasiu Muhammed, who hailed from Ajowa community and son of a prominent traditional chief in Ajowa.
He disclosed that the arrest of Muhammed led to the arrest of three other members of the group who are scattered across the Akoko communities while others are still at large.
The Area Commander of Ikare command of the state, Rasak Rauf, who met with stakeholders in the area over the incident, called for more proactive measures and synergy with the security operatives to stem down kidnapping and other crime in the area.
He advised the stakeholders to always inform the police about strange faces and movement in their area.
He disclosed that the suspects had been transferred to the state police command in Akure, the state capital.
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