Operatives of the Kwara State Police Command have arrested a suspected member of a kidnapping syndicate while allegedly attempting to withdraw ransom proceeds from a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal in Ilorin East Local Government Area.
The suspect, identified as Muhamodu Sanni, was arrested around the Obudu/Woru axis following an intelligence-led investigation into the abduction of three persons in Obudu Village on July 28, 2026.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday through the command’s X handle.
According to her, detectives expanded the investigation beyond the scene of the abduction to trace the communication, logistics and financial channels allegedly used by the kidnappers.
The investigation subsequently led operatives to Sanni, who was intercepted at a POS outlet while allegedly attempting to cash out proceeds linked to the abduction.
The statement said, “The sustained offensive of the Kwara State Police Command against kidnapping has recorded another significant breakthrough, as intelligence-led operations successfully penetrated the support structure of a kidnapping syndicate operating around Obudu/Woru axis of Ilorin East Local Government Area, culminating in the arrest of Muhamodu Sanni while allegedly attempting to cash out ransom proceeds linked to a recent abduction.”
The police said preliminary interrogation of Sanni yielded information on the alleged ransom collection process and led to the identification of two other suspected members of the syndicate, identified as Aminu and Umar.
The command said the information provided by the suspect had strengthened its understanding of the syndicate’s operations and opened fresh leads for further investigation and possible arrests.
Ejire-Adeyemi quoted the Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, as assuring residents that the command would sustain intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling kidnapping and other criminal networks across the state.
Adekimi also urged residents to provide timely and credible information to the police, stressing that community support remained critical to preventing and combating criminal activities across Kwara State.
