The Ekiti State Police Command has foiled a planned kidnapping and arrested two suspected kidnappers and cattle rustlers during an intelligence-led operation along the Are–Afao Road in Ayede-Ekiti.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abutu Sunday, confirmed the arrests in a statement released on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
According to the statement, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, working with officers from the Ayede-Ekiti Divisional Headquarters and local vigilantes, arrested Mumini Muhammed, 23, and Kehinde Oseni, 22, at about 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2026. The suspects were apprehended in a forest along the Are–Afao Road/Ayede-Ekiti axis.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the duo planned to kidnap a resident of Ayede-Ekiti. They were intercepted while attempting to sell two stolen cows for ₦1.5 million. Police said the proceeds were intended to fund the planned abduction.
The suspects have confessed to the crime and made additional confessional statements, the police said. The two recovered cows have been identified and released to their owner.
Efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the gang and recover firearms and other weapons in their possession. The suspects will be charged to court once investigation is concluded.
Commissioner of Police, CP Falade Adegoroye Michael, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-led operations against kidnapping and other violent crimes. He urged residents to remain law-abiding and continue supporting the police with timely, credible information to aid crime-fighting efforts across the state.
