A bag allegedly used for the payment of ransom to kidnappers has been recovered from the kitchen of the Seriki Fulani of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Muhammadu Abdullai, during a police operation targeting kidnapping syndicates operating across the Ijebu axis.
The 67-year-old Fulani leader was arrested alongside his eldest son by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Ogun State Police Command following investigations into a series of abductions in Ijebu Ode, Imodi, Irewon, Iwode, Okun Owa and neighbouring communities.
According to a Tribune newspaper report, police sources disclosed that investigators linked the kidnapping incidents to Abdullai’s son, Bala Muhammadu, who was recently released from prison after serving a five-year sentence for kidnapping offences.
According to the source, operatives led by the officer in charge of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, SP Bamidele Shirtu, stormed the family compound after what was described as painstaking intelligence gathering.
“One of the bags used for the payment of ransom for one of the victims was recovered in the father’s kitchen,” the source revealed.
The source added that Bala and two of his brothers allegedly escaped through nearby bushes after they were alerted to the presence of security operatives in the community.
“It is not only Bala who is into the business. There is also Ndaji and another suspect and we are on their trail,” the source said, noting that incidents of kidnapping reportedly increased in the area following Bala’s release from prison.
Speaking with journalists after his arrest, Abdullai denied involvement in any criminal activity and insisted that he had never kidnapped anyone in his life.
The traditional title holder said he had lived in Yorubaland for over 30 years and was honoured with the title of Seriki Fulani in Ijebu Ode by the late Awujale of Ijebuland.
“I don’t know anything about the bag that was found in my house,” Abdullai said, maintaining that he had no connection with kidnapping operations allegedly linked to his children.
The suspect, however, admitted that he knew Bala had previously been involved in kidnapping activities and confirmed that he personally took him to the hospital for treatment after his release from prison because he appeared sick and weak.
“I thought he had changed because he was into farming and cattle rearing,” he said, adding that he encouraged his son to stay away from crime.
Also arrested during the operation was Bello Muhammadu, Abdullai’s eldest son, who denied involvement in kidnapping and claimed he was working on the farm when police operatives arrived at the family compound.
Bello stated that he only knew about Bala’s previous imprisonment and had no knowledge of the activities of his siblings.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command praised the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, for supporting intelligence-driven operations against kidnappers and violent criminals.
The command’s spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, also commended the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, saying ongoing operations were yielding significant security breakthroughs.
The police assured residents that efforts to dismantle criminal networks across the state would continue while urging the public to support security agencies with timely information.
