Dad and His Three Sons Arrested for Kidnapping in Ondo

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, known as the Amotekun Corps, has arrested 28 people for different crimes in the state.

Among those arrested is a 56-year-old man named Iliasu and his three sons, Usman, 33; Wahab, 27; and Yakubu, 18. They are accused of kidnapping a man in Oba Akoko, in Akoko South-West Local Government Area.

At a press conference in Akure, the state capital, the Amotekun Corps Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the family has been involved in kidnappings. They allegedly used cattle to disguise their criminal activities.

Adeleye stated, “There is a particular suspect that we have been trailing since 2024 over kidnapping activities in the Northern Senatorial District. I’m glad to let you know that the long arm of the law finally caught up with him during an operation we carried out in the last four days.

“In the same operation, the victim was kidnapped on his way to Oba Akoko, and the family promptly arranged the ransom without informing Amotekun. Despite paying the ransom, the kidnappers refused to release the victim. They also threatened the family not to report the incident.

“After collecting the ransom, they still refused to release the victim, which eventually prompted the family to report the case to the Amotekun office. We immediately swung into action. At the end of the day, we found that a father and his three sons were directly involved, using cattle as a cover.”

The Amotekun commander went on to say that during the rescue operation, the suspects attacked the operatives, but they managed to save the victim.

“Before the rescue, they had attacked the victim with knives and cutlasses, inflicting injuries to his head. We promptly rushed the victim to a nearby hospital and were able to recover over 75 percent of the ransom paid. We also recovered drugs, alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, and what appeared to be a blindfold used to cover the victim’s eyes,” he added.

Adeleye emphasized that the state will not tolerate crime.

“What we want to make clear is that there is no hiding place for criminals, both in the forests and in the towns.

“The Amotekun Corps has been strategically positioned across all parts of the state to ensure that commuters and residents can go about their lawful activities without molestation,” he said.