The Osun State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of an inter-state kidnapping syndicate and rescued a Fulani herdsman who was stabbed during a police operation in Iloko, Osun State.
Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan announced the arrests on Tuesday while briefing journalists at the Command headquarters in Osogbo. He identified the suspects as Umaru Adamu, 21, Nasir Yahya, and Umar Yahya, 24. All three are linked to the May 5 abduction of Yahaya Sulaimon from a cattle settlement in the Iloko area.
According to CP Gotan, the incident began around 3:25 a.m. on May 5, 2026, when a complainant reported to the Ijebu-Jesa Police Station that about six armed men had stormed the settlement. The attackers, carrying guns and sticks, assaulted residents before abducting Sulaimon and fleeing to an unknown location.
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Acting on the report, police operatives and local security groups launched an intelligence-led search along the Iloko-Ijesa axis. When the kidnappers spotted the approaching team, they stabbed Sulaimon in the chest and stomach and fled into the bush. Officers rescued the victim and rushed him to a hospital for urgent treatment.
During the operation, police arrested Umaru Adamu and recovered a locally fabricated automatic gun and three live cartridges from him. The case was transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit for further investigation.
Follow-up intelligence later led to the arrest of Nasir Yahya in Ajase and Umar Yahya in Sabo-Ibodi. CP Gotan said efforts are ongoing to track down other members of the syndicate, and investigations have been intensified to ensure all involved face justice.
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