The Ondo State police command said it arrested 10 suspected kidnappers and recovered ransom during a coordinated security operation in Akure, the state capital. 

The suspects were identified as Muritala Muhammed (22), Mustapha Adamu (20), Usman Ibrahim (25), Amisu Aruna (28), Asiru Abdulasis (20), Abduliu Sanni (22), Ibrahim Suraju (20), Noah Isiaku (20), Abdulahi Suraju (20), and Arabi Hamet (18).

The command spokesman, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, stated this in a statement on Tuesday in Akure. 

Mr Abayomi said the latest breakthrough followed a joint operation between the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Section and visiting Police Mobile Force (PMF) operatives deployed as operational support by the former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

He explained that the operation was carried out on February 23, 2026, after credible intelligence pointed security operatives to suspected hideouts along Ondo road in the Akure South LGA of the state. 

Mr Abayomi, who stated that the police were intensifying efforts to dismantle kidnapping networks across the state, said intelligence-led raid led to the arrest of the 10 suspects believed to be members of a kidnapping syndicate terrorising parts of the state.

The state police spokesman said that during the operation, officers recovered an operational motorcycle allegedly used by the gang including ransom.

“During the operation, their operational motorcycle and ransom was recovered from the suspects. Notably, part of the recovered cash comprised burnt currency notes, which are currently being documented as exhibits in the ongoing investigation.

“The suspects have made useful confessional statements, detailing the individual roles each played within the syndicate. Relevant exhibits recovered and are currently being processed for comprehensive investigation and further necessary action. 

“The Ondo State Police Command is working assiduously to unravel the full scope of the syndicate’s operations and to identify and apprehend other accomplices who may still be at large,” he said in the statement. 

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, has reassured residents that the command remains resolute in its mandate to rid the state of kidnapping and other violent crimes. 

Mr Lawal advised members of the public to provide timely and credible information to security agencies, stressing that community cooperation was vital in crime prevention.

He called on communities to strengthen credible vigilance groups to complement the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force and other security outfits, adding that closer collaboration between residents and law enforcement would significantly enhance response to criminal threats.