The police have arrested two suspects, Mumini Mohammed and Kehinde Oseni, in Ekiti State over allegations of theft, kidnapping and other unlawful practices, causing massive unrest on families in the area.
The state’s police command stated that Mohammed, 23, and 22-year-old Oseni allegedly plotted a kidnapping plan saying the suspects were later caught while trying to sell stolen cows to fund the planned abduction.
According to the police, the arrests followed an intelligence-led operation that uncovered the plot before it could be carried out, with the suspects already confessing to the crime, as informed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Abutu said that the duo were arrested on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at about 1:00 p.m. in a forest along the Are–Afao Road/Ayede Ekiti axis in Oye Local Government Area by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, working with officers from the Ayede Ekiti Division and local vigilantes.
He said preliminary findings showed that the arrestees were intercepted while attempting to sell two stolen cows for ₦1.5 million, with the proceeds allegedly meant to finance the kidnapping of an Ayede Ekiti resident. Both suspects, he added, made confessional statements during interrogation.
Abutu noted that the owner of the cows has been identified and has taken possession of the animals. He said efforts are ongoing to arrest other gang members and recover firearms and weapons believed to be in their custody, adding that the suspects will be arraigned after investigations.
Commissioner of Police Michael Falade reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to intelligence-driven operations against kidnapping and violent crime, and urged residents to provide timely and credible information to support security efforts across the state.