By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
Operatives of Ogun State Police Command have arrested one Larry Adebayo Adewumi and his wife Okereke Olufunmilayo with one Adebowale Sanni over the abduction and killing of a popular hotelier, Otunba Abayomi Ajayi Smith, the Director of Rolak Hotel, Ijebu Ode.
Olufunmilayo, is said to be a manager in the building materials outlet owned by the Late Smith. She is alleged to have been the person who gave out information leading to the kidnap of her boss to her kidnapper husband, Larry Adewumi.
The daredevil gang who kidnapped Smith on the 28th of September 2020 at about 7:30 am, at Anifowose Estate igbeba, Ijebu Ode still went ahead to kill him despite collecting N15m ransom.
Receiving information about the kidnap of the popular hotelier two years ago, men of Anti kidnapping of Ogun State Police Command were said to have commenced investigation, but all efforts to get the victim out of captivity proved abortive, despite the fact that the victim’s family paid a ransom of N15 million to the abductors.
Since then, according to statement from the Spokesman of the State Police Command on Thursday morning, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the operatives have not relented in their efforts to fish out those behind the devilish act.
The efforts of the SP Taiwo Opadiran led team was however said to have yielded positive result in September this year, when they got wind of plans by the hoodlums to strike again, this time, the wife and son of late Smith were their target.
The statement revealed further that “having got the intelligence report, the police embarked on technical surveillance for the suspects, consequence upon which one of them was traced to Ikeji Arakeji in Osun state, where the 55 years old Adebowale Sanni was apprehended.
“On interrogation, he confessed to have been on the trail of Yeye Olusola Roseline Ajayi, the wife of their earlier victim, Smith, in order to kidnap her, on the order of Larry Adebayo Adewumi the ring leader, whose wife Olufunmilayo happened to be an employee of late Smith.
“He confessed further that it was Larry who described the location of the victim’s hotel and his other business outfits to him with instruction that if they succeeded in kidnapping the woman and her son, the two of them must be killed after collecting ransom in order not to leave any trail behind, just as they did to her husband two years ago.
“His confession led to the arrest of Larry’s wife Olufunmilayo who was a manager at the victim’s building materials shops.
“Larry himself was arrested three days after, he initially denied having anything to do with the kidnap of Otunba Abayomi Ajayi Smith, but when he came into confrontation with Adebowale Sanni, his accomplice, he knew immediately that the game is up.”
The police disclosed further that preliminary investigation revealed that Larry who is an indigene of Ilesha, Osun state used to be a fraudster before he graduated to full-time kidnapping business.
His modus operandi was to scout for a rich victim, after which he would mobilise the gang working for him to go after such person.
Further investigation revealed that Larry has two bank accounts where he used to keep money realised from his criminal activities.
In one of the accounts with number 0010913206 domicile in JAIZ Bank, the sum of N34,953,455 (Thirty four million, nine hundred and fifty three thousand four hundred and fifty five naira) was discovered there in, while he has the sum of N4,576,846 (four million five hundred and seventy six thousand eight hundred and forty six naira) in another account with Access Bank. A 2014 model Toyota Highlander was also recovered from him.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, who commended his men for painstakingly following the suspects until they were arrested, directed that other members of the gang should be hunted for and brought to book.
He also directed that the arrested suspects be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.