Oyo state Police command has rescued 78 year old man Chairman of Bond Group of Companies in Oyo state, Chief Adebowale Omotosho, from a kidnappers den in Ajia village in Egbeda Local Governement Area of Oyo state after he was abducted by a kidnapping syndicate led by a woman at his residence in Gaa area of Awe in Oyo state on March 4th.
The gang led by 32 year old Bisi Babatunde who has been on the wanted list of the police in Rivers State and her other gang members-Laide Shittu (28), Ajayi Olaniyi (40), Isiaka Kazeem, Alabi Olufemi, Oladipupo Abayomi and Ayobami Musa (23), had kidnapped the 78 year old man and demanded a ransom of $1 million from his family who were able pay N10 million to the kidnappers.
The kidnappers collected the money and demanded for more. This prompted the family to immediately invite the police into the matter who were able to track the kidnappers to their den and got them arrested on Tuesday March 10th.
The man that was rescued
Leader of the gang
Speaking on their arrest, Oyo state Police Commissioner, Mr Muhammad Musa Katsina, said when he got wind of the abduction, he constituted an ambush squad by the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Oyo and others.
“After about a week of coordinated efforts to rescue the victim, with the launching of Operation Whirlwind, officers and men of Oyo State Police Command engaged the hoodlums in a very definite shootout from midnight to dawn. As a result of our resilience, the defence line of the hoodlums was weakened and they all ran helter-skelter with a remarkable degree of bullet wounds, leaving behind their victim in a house. We arrested seven of them, while two escaped with bullet wounds, leaving a trail of blood,” the police commissioner said.
Meanwhile a cash of arms, ammunition and some cash were recovered from the kidnappers den. The police say the suspects would be charged to court soon.
