The Ondo State Police Command on Thursday said an Okada rider who was among the new suspects arrested in connection with the abduction of a member of staff of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Mr Samuel Omoniyi, was a mastermind of the abduction.
Omoniyi, who is a faculty officer of the Faculty of Education of the university, was abducted with one other man whose identity has not been confirmed, some days ago at the Supare-Akoko Community in Akoko South-West Local Council Area of the state.
Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba worker was abducted by the hoodlums as he was entering his residence in the community while coming from work. The hoodlums later demanded a sum of N7m as ransom for the release of the victim.
Although the victim was set free by his abductors last Sunday, the source disclosed to our correspondent that the family paid an undisclosed amount of money as ransom before he was released at Ago Panu Community in Owo Local Government.
In a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the police command, Mr Olayinka Ayanlade, it was disclosed that one of the suspects was a commercial motorcyclist who often took the victim to and from the office.
According to the statement, the suspect, who was identified as Benson Alaba, gave the abductors information about the movement of the AAUA worker.
The PPRO said, “The Ondo State Police Command wishes to inform the public of the arrest of seven suspects in connection with the kidnapping of Mr. Omoniyi Samuel, a lecturer at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. The arrests followed a discreet, intelligence-driven operation by operatives of the command, which uncovered the coordinated roles each suspect played in the crime.
“Investigation established that one of the suspects, Benson Alaba, of Akungba-Akoko, a commercial motorcyclist who routinely conveyed the victim to his workplace, used his familiarity to spy on the victim’s movements.
“On August 4, 2025, he visited the victim’s residence without prior arrangement, under the pretence of requesting a handset. This was later confirmed to be a calculated ploy to study the victim’s activities and create an opening for the syndicate. Shortly after his departure, other gang members moved in and abducted the victim.
“Further inquiry revealed that Ogungbemi Wasiu of Okeruwa, Ikare, provided the Itel handset used to contact the victim’s family to demand a ransom of N5m. Although he claimed the handset was lost on August 2, 2025, he failed to report the loss to the police, a deliberate omission that aided the criminal enterprise. His role was critical in maintaining communication between the kidnappers and the victim’s relatives, thus facilitating the ransom negotiations.”
Some of the recent suspects are Audu Shaibu, Ismaila Abdullahi, Nuru Bature, Usman Baba and Yusuf Muhammed, all of Agopanu, Owo. The police spokesman confirmed that they were allegedly involved in the crime.
“An eyewitness testimony confirmed that these five suspects, acting in concert with Benson Alaba and under the operational facilitation of Ogungbemi Wasiu, participated in forcibly abducting the victim and directly demanding the ransom from the family during the incident. The seamless coordination between Benson Alaba’s surveillance, Ogungbemi Wasiu’s communication support, and the aggressive role of the five field operatives points to a well-organised kidnapping syndicate,” the statement explained.
The PPRO who added that the victim was currently receiving medical attention at the Adekunle Ajasin University Health Centre, affirmed that the apprehension of the suspects was the result of “carefully coordinated follow-up operations based on credible intelligence, and not during any alleged ransom-sharing activity.”