Oyo kidnapping suspects blame each other after arrest for taking two kids

Four suspected kidnappers are in police custody after they were linked to the abduction of two children in Ibarapa, Oyo State on 27 June. Following their arrest, the suspects gave different accounts of their roles in the crime, each trying to blame the others.

The suspects are Sunday Idowu, 30; Muhammed Shina, 29; Abdullahi Ahmed, 28; and Umaru Usman, 25. They were caught during a joint operation by the Oyo State Police Command, Amotekun Corps, local vigilantes, and hunters. This happened after armed men invaded Ebinpejo Village in Lanlate, Ibarapa East Local Government Area and took the children.

According to the Oyo State Police Command, the invaders raided homes, attacked residents, and abducted the kids before escaping into a nearby forest. In a statement from the police, signed by PRO Ayanlade Olayinka, Commissioner of Police Abimbola Olugbenga ordered a coordinated rescue operation involving several security teams.

Security officials tracked the suspects to their hideout in the forest. A gunfight broke out when the kidnappers allegedly shot at the advancing security team.

Suspects exchange accusations

A review by PREMIUM TIMES of interviews done by NAN, Channels, and Arise News showed that the suspects denied major claims against them. They also blamed each other for planning the crime.

Mr Shina, who police say traveled from Ilorin to join the kidnapping, claimed he was pressured into the act. He said someone had asked him for over a month to join a kidnapping mission. "It has been more than one month since he approached me to join the operation. I told him I was afraid and that neither I nor my family had ever been involved in such things," he stated. "I am only an Okada rider and I survive on what I earn daily."

Mr Shina said he ignored many calls from the suspect but was later told it was time for the operation. "I told him I had no money and I was afraid, but he insisted we had to go."

Mr Ahmed, who others claimed provided the weapons, denied this. The herdsman said he was introduced to the plot by someone else and insisted the guns belonged to Idowu, another suspect. "He sent someone to meet me. The gun belongs to Idowu."

Idowu, described by police as a local collaborator, rejected this claim. He said he had tried to avoid discussions about the kidnapping. He admitted giving a firearm but said it was defective. "If not for ignorance, I should have reported him (Ahmed) to the police a long time ago because he had been discussing the operation with me for a long time," he said.

Idowu claimed that one suspect gave him money to buy bullets but he never did. "The gun had been faulty for a long time. It belonged to my brother. I didn’t think they could use an empty gun for such an operation," he added.

Mr Usman, identified as the coordinator of the crime, denied leading the group and accused the others of lying about him. "It is true that we were arrested, but their claim that I coordinated the operation is a lie," he said. "I have never done this kind of thing before. My family has never been involved in such activities."

Usman gave a strange reason for his actions, saying he acted under a spell. "I was under a spell," he said. "If I had been in my right senses, I would not have been involved."

Details of the arrest and rescue

In an update on the arrest and rescue, the police spokesperson said the operation's success was due to reliable information. "Acting on credible intelligence, supported by technical resources and coordinated field operations, the joint security team successfully traced the abductors’ hideout deep within the forest."

"On sighting the advancing security team, the hoodlums opened fire, resulting in a gun duel. The operatives responded professionally, overpowering the criminals and forcing them to flee in different directions," the police statement said.

During the operation, Usman was arrested with gunshot wounds from trying to escape. Police also recovered three mobile phones from the scene. Ahmed was caught in a follow-up operation the next day. Further investigations led to the arrests of Idowu and Shina, who allegedly traveled from Ilorin to take part in the crime.

The police rescued the children during the operation. One child had injuries but was taken to the hospital along with the other for treatment before being reunited with their families. The police said the four suspects are helping investigators gather more information to track other members of the gang. "Investigation is ongoing, and further development will be communicated as they unfold."