Osun police rescue kidnapping arrest suspects recover 2.2m naira

Osun State police have arrested multiple suspects in connection with a recent kidnapping and a series of other criminal activities, including cultism and ritual killings, authorities announced on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The arrests followed a coordinated operation that successfully rescued a victim unharmed and foiled a ransom exchange.

Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan detailed the events during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Osogbo. He stated that on July 9, 2026, the command received a report that a 50-year-old herder, Haruna Yusuf, had been abducted by four suspected kidnappers from a remote settlement near Wasinmi Village along the Gbongan-Ife-Ibadan Road. Police operatives, working with local vigilantes, immediately mobilized to search the surrounding forests and pathways.

The case was transferred to the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) Anti-Kidnapping Section. On July 12, VCRU operatives conducted an intelligence-driven operation to monitor a ransom payment at a designated drop-off point in the Majeroku area along the Ibadan-Ife Expressway. The team successfully rescued Yusuf unhurt. Upon sighting the police, the kidnappers opened fire,...