Police authorities in Ondo State have arrested five persons allegedly fingered in the abduction of two schoolchildren in Ore, headquarters of Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects were taken into custody by officers attached to the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad during an intelligence-driven operation launched after the children were abducted and ransom was reportedly paid.
The command’s spokesman, Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.
He said the victims, Jehu, 10, and his younger brother, Yohana, 5, were kidnapped on May 12, 2026, while heading to school in the Jerry Sawmill area of Ore.
According to him, the children’s father, Andrew Yohana, reported the incident to the police around 9am, leading to the immediate deployment of detectives to investigate the matter.
The statement reads, “Police investigations, aided by technical intelligence and tracking analysis, led operatives to the Alaba area of Ore, where two suspects, Taofeek Lukman, 23, and Blessing Saturday, 27, were arrested.
“Further investigations uncovered three additional suspects identified as Peter Moses, 25; Sunday Isaac, 23; and Sanusi Dan Asabe, 37, all believed to be members of the criminal syndicate.”
The police image maker further revealed that detectives recovered N251,000 believed to be part of the ransom allegedly paid by the family before the release of the children.
He added that efforts were ongoing to track down other fleeing members of the gang and recover more items connected to the crime.
Jimoh stated that the suspects had allegedly confessed to their involvement in the abduction and would be prosecuted after investigations are concluded.
While reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Felix Ohagwu, commended the anti-kidnapping squad for what he described as a professional and intelligence-led operation.
Ohagwu also reiterated the command’s resolve to sustain the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.
He assured residents that safeguarding lives and property remained a major priority of the command.
