Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested two kidnappers who killed their victims after collecting ransom from their families. This arrest was carried out by the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Command, leading to the recovery of the victims’ corpses.
The Eagle Online reported that this breakthrough in the kidnapping case occurred shortly after Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun commended the squad for their achievements. The two arrested kidnappers, Chukwuma Bartholomew and Igwe Monday, were apprehended on June 28, 2024, around 6:20 PM through technical investigations. These arrests came six months after their last known operation, involving 71-year-old Sunday Adekunle Ifelaja, who did not return home despite the payment of ransom.
The gang did not stop their activities after abducting Adeife on December 31, 2023, and Femi Ogunyemi on November 23, 2023. They were also responsible for the recent kidnappings of several Chinese nationals and Nigerians on the Sagamu-Benin Expressway. The kidnappers released their hostages due to pressure from the diligent Anti-Kidnapping Squad.
The search for the seven-man gang began after the murder of Oluwaseun Oworu, kidnapped on July 29, 2023, at his residence in Ijebu-Igbo. The gang robbed him of his belongings, including a Point of Sale (PoS) machine issued by Monie Point. On November 23, 2023, they abducted 34-year-old Ogunyemi from his home in Ijebu-Igbo, creating a ransom video sent to his family via WhatsApp. Despite receiving the ransom, the kidnappers did not release him, similar to the case of 71-year-old Ifelaja, kidnapped from his farmhouse on December 31, 2023.
On June 28, 2024, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad made a significant breakthrough, discovering the criminals’ hideout in Ijebu-Igbo through technical investigation. They arrested Bartholomew and Ogunyemi, who led the operatives to the shallow graves where their victims were buried on July 12, 2024, inside the Ijebu-Igbo forest. The detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department are determined to apprehend the remaining gang members.
