Four men arrested in connection with the abduction of two children in Ibarapa, Oyo State, have given contradictory statements to investigators, each attempting to shift responsibility to the others. The suspects — Sunday Idowu (30), Muhammed Shina (29), Abdullahi Ahmed (28), and Umaru Usman (25) — were captured during a joint operation by the Oyo State Police Command, Amotekun Corps, local vigilantes, and hunters after the children were taken from Ebinpejo Village in Lanlate, Ibarapa East Local Government Area.
Arrest and Rescue Operation
The Oyo State Police Command stated that armed hoodlums invaded the community on Friday, ransacked houses, assaulted residents, and abducted the children before fleeing into a forest. In a statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer Ayanlade Olayinka, the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, immediately ordered a coordinated rescue operation involving multiple security agencies. Security operatives tracked the suspects to a hideout in the forest, where a gun battle ensued after the kidnappers allegedly opened fire on the advancing team.
During the operation, suspect Umaru Usman was arrested with gunshot wounds sustained while attempting to escape. Police also recovered three mobile phones at the scene. Another suspect, Abdullahi Ahmed, was arrested in a follow-up operation the next day. Further investigations led to the arrest of Idowu, described as a local collaborator, and Shina, who allegedly travelled from Ilorin, Kwara State, to participate in the abduction. The children were rescued; one sustained injuries but was taken to the hospital along with the other victim for treatment before being reunited with their families.
Suspects Trade Blame
A review of separate interviews conducted by NAN, Channels, and Arise News after the arrests showed the suspects denying key allegations and accusing one another of masterminding the operation. Muhammed Shina, who police said travelled from Ilorin to participate, claimed he was repeatedly pressured to join despite initially refusing. According to him, a fellow suspect had approached him several times over more than a month to participate in a kidnapping mission. “It has been more than one month since he approached me to join the operation. I told him I was afraid and that neither I nor my family had ever been involved in such things,” Shina said. “I am only an Okada rider and I survive on what I earn daily.” He claimed he ignored several calls but the suspect later came looking for him again and insisted it was time for the operation. “I told him I had no money and I was afraid, but he insisted we had to go.”
Abdullahi Ahmed, accused by other suspects of supplying weapons, denied the allegation. The suspect, who identified himself as a herdsman, said he was introduced into the matter through another individual and insisted the firearms belonged to Idowu. “He sent someone to meet me. The gun belongs to Idowu,” Ahmed said. Sunday Idowu, whom police described as a local collaborator, rejected the accusation and claimed he had repeatedly distanced himself from discussions about the operation. He admitted handing over a firearm but insisted it was faulty and unusable. “If not for ignorance, I should have reported him (Ahmed) to the police a long time ago because he had been discussing the operation with me for a long time,” Idowu said. He alleged that one of the suspects gave him money to purchase bullets but said he never bought any. “The gun had been faulty for a long time. It belonged to my brother. I didn’t think they could use an empty gun for such an operation.”
Umaru Usman, whom investigators identified as the coordinator, denied leading the gang and accused the others of falsely implicating him. “It is true that we were arrested, but their claim that I coordinated the operation is a lie,” Usman said. “I have never done this kind of thing before. My family has never been involved in such activities.” He offered an unusual explanation, claiming he acted under a spiritual influence. “I was under a spell,” he said. “If I had been in my right senses, I would not have been involved.” He insisted he neither recruited the suspects nor coordinated the operation, adding that the others knew one another before he became involved.
Rising Insecurity in Oyo State
The arrests come amid growing concerns over insecurity in Oyo State, particularly in rural communities bordering forests stretching across Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, and parts of the Old Oyo National Park. In recent months, residents have reported a rise in kidnapping incidents, attacks on communities, and violent crimes linked to armed groups operating in forested areas. The security challenge recently attracted national attention following the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers from their schools in Oriire Local Government Area on 15 May. One of the kidnapped teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded by the captors, triggering public outrage and renewed calls for stronger security measures across the state. The Oyo State Government has since imposed security restrictions in several local government areas and intensified collaboration with security agencies in a bid to rescue victims, curb criminal activities, and restore public confidence.
Police said the four suspects are assisting investigators with information aimed at tracking other members of the criminal network. “Investigation is ongoing, and further development will be communicated as they unfold,” the police statement read.
