Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested three suspected kidnappers after they were captured on a closed-circuit television (CCTV) while abducting one of their victims in Akure, the state capital.

The suspects Identified as Mohammed Koro, 27, Muhammad Usman, 30, and Musa Alhaji, 23, were arrested a few weeks after kidnapping a woman in Other Oda Road, Akure South Local Council of the state.

While confirming the arrest of the suspects, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed that following the viral video in the state in which the suspects were seen kidnapping the woman, the command had been on the trail of the suspects.

According to the police spokesperson, three victims earlier kidnapped by the syndicate, Tosin Adesida, Adeniran Adesuyi and Adewunmi Adewusi, were rescued during the operation, adding that they had been debriefed and taken to the hospital for medical attention.

Jimoh, who disclosed that the suspected kidnappers had made useful confessional statements, with ongoing efforts to ensure the arrest of other members of the syndicate, added that they would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

He said, “The Ondo State Police Command under the leadership of CP Adebowale Lawal, in line with the mission and vision of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, on technology-led policing and operational effectiveness, has arrested three suspects and rescued three in connection with an alleged kidnapping incident captured on a CCTV camera in Oda, Akure.

“The arrest followed the circulation of CCTV footage on social media showing the abduction of a victim by suspected criminals in the Oda area of Akure. Upon receiving the footage, the command immediately activated its intelligence team, leveraging digital surveillance analysis and coordinated field operations to identify and apprehend the suspects.”

The command, he added, also encouraged residents to remain calm and go about their lawful activities, assuring them that proactive measures were in place to prevent and combat all forms of criminality within the state. (The Guardian)