The Ekiti State Police Command has foiled a planned kidnapping operation and arrested two suspected kidnappers and cattle rustlers in a coordinated intelligence-led operation. The suspects were apprehended while allegedly attempting to sell two stolen cows to raise funds for a planned abduction in Ayede-Ekiti.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday that the suspects, identified as Mumini Muhammed, 23, and Kehinde Oseni, 22, were arrested on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at about 1:00 p.m. by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) in collaboration with officers of the Ayede-Ekiti Divisional Police Headquarters and local vigilantes. The arrest took place in a forest along the Are–Afao Road/Ayede-Ekiti axis.
According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects had concluded plans to kidnap a resident of Ayede-Ekiti before they were intercepted. The statement added that they were caught while trying to sell two stolen cows for ₦1.5 million, with the proceeds allegedly meant to finance the planned kidnapping operation.
The Command said the suspects confessed to the crime during interrogation and provided other useful information to investigators. It added that efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the gang and recover firearms and other weapons believed to be in their possession, while the suspects would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The police further disclosed that the rightful owner of the recovered cattle had been identified and that the two cows had since been returned to him. The recovery was described as part of the Command’s efforts to protect lives and property and curb criminal activities across the state.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, CP Falade Adegoroye Micheal, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations against kidnapping and other violent crimes. He urged residents to remain law-abiding and continue to support the police with timely, credible and useful information that would assist security agencies in combating crime and criminality across the state.
