The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a suspect in connection with the abduction and killing of a prominent youth leader in Isua Akoko, headquarters of Akoko South East Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The victim, Ojo Abbey, popularly known as Obesere, was reportedly abducted by gunmen on February 22, 2026, while returning to his community from Ibilo in Edo State.
According to community sources, the assailants took him to an undisclosed location within a forested area.
Residents disclosed that following a report to the police, local youths, working alongside hunters, launched extensive search operations across nearby bushes and forests in a desperate attempt to rescue him.
The search ended in tragedy on Saturday when Abbey’s decomposing body was discovered in a forest in Igara, Edo State.
Confirming the incident in a statement, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said one suspect had been arrested and was currently assisting investigators.
“The incident was reported at Isua Division at about 1945hrs on 22nd February, 2026, by a resident who stated that one Ojo Abbey, male, was allegedly abducted by armed men suspected to be herdsmen while returning from Ibilo, Edo State,” the statement read.
Jimoh added that the Divisional Police Officer swiftly mobilised patrol teams upon receiving the report. The victim’s vehicle, a Nissan Almera with registration number KJA 440 DB, was recovered and secured at the station.
He further disclosed that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Lawal, had ordered intensified surveillance and strategic deployments across the affected communities and along the Ondo-Edo boundary.
The move, he said, was aimed at preventing further attacks and apprehending other fleeing suspects.
“The command commiserates with the family of the deceased and assures the public that the perpetrators of this heinous crime will be brought to justice,” Jimoh stated.
Meanwhile, the Isua Youth Forum condemned the killing, describing it as a grim reflection of the growing insecurity in Isua and its environs.
In a statement signed by its National President, Abimbola Oluwafemi, the group called on the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to urgently intervene and strengthen security architecture in the area.
“We use this medium to call on our dear Governor of Ondo State, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, for immediate intervention on this matter and on the general rising insecurity in the Isua environment and Akoko South-East at large,” the statement read.
The group also urged the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation, insisting that all individuals involved must be identified and prosecuted.
