…Victim rescued unhurt 8 days after abduction, N1m ransom recovered
The Oyo State Police Command has rescued a 5-year-old girl, Fikayo Gbemiga, and arrested two suspected kidnappers eight days after she was abducted from her home in Ibadan.
The suspects, Adegboye Seyi Sunday, 37, and Adegboye Elijah Adefemi, 25, were arrested on Friday, July 11, 2026 at their hideout in the Mojoyin Molade area of Iwo Road, Ibadan.
The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said in a statement on Wednesday, July 15, that the suspects unlawfully gained access to the minor’s residence in the Iyana Offa area of Ibadan on July 3, 2026 and abducted her.
They later demanded a ransom of N10 million from the victim’s family.
According to the police, the suspects had already collected N1 million as part payment on July 8, 2026 in Gbongan, Osun State.
“Operatives of the Command Anti-Kidnapping Squad leveraged technology and other investigative tools to trace and identify the suspects’ hideout,” the PPRO stated.
Acting on credible intelligence, operatives stormed the hideout at about 10:35 p.m. on July 11. The victim was rescued unhurt and immediately taken for medical care. Both suspects were arrested before they could relocate the child.
The police said preliminary investigations revealed the two men acted together in the crime. The suspects are currently cooperating with investigators.
Efforts are ongoing to recover the ransom already collected and apprehend other members of the syndicate still at large.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, commended the operatives for the successful operation. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to rid Oyo State of kidnapping through intelligence-led policing.
He also urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information to the police, assuring that all intelligence will be treated with confidentiality.
