Police Nab Suspected Kidnappers, Recover Firearm in Ondo–Edo Joint Operation
13th November, 2025
The Ondo State Police Command has intensified its crackdown on kidnapping syndicates operating across the South-West, leading to the arrest of four suspects and the recovery of a firearm allegedly used in their criminal operations.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka Olushola, on Wednesday, the Command said the breakthrough followed a series of intelligence-driven operations conducted by its Anti-Kidnapping Squad.
The suspects, identified as Abayomi Fayankinu (51) and Felix Orkaa (34), both from Edo State, were apprehended after weeks of surveillance on criminal hotspots used by kidnappers. Their arrests, according to the police, led to further intelligence that exposed more members of the gang.
During interrogation, Fayankinu allegedly confessed that one Adebayo, a native of Ogbomoso, acted as an informant and trained him in firearm handling. Acting on this confession, operatives swiftly arrested Adebayo and extended their operation to Edo State, where another suspected member of the syndicate, Ibukun Jimoh Samson (55), popularly known as “Iron Body”, was nabbed. A search of his residence reportedly yielded an English-made single-barrel gun believed to have been used in their operations.
Police investigations linked the arrests to a broader network earlier uncovered through the confession of Abdullahi Ibrahim, another kidnapping suspect previously arrested in Ore. His revelations helped authorities trace and dismantle the inter-state syndicate believed to be responsible for multiple abductions along major South-West highways.
The Command stated that all the suspects have made voluntary confessional statements and will be charged to court upon the completion of investigations.
Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for his strategic leadership and support to the Ondo Command. He reiterated the police’s commitment to safeguarding residents through intelligence-led policing and community collaboration.
