By Adeyanju Esther
The Osun State Police Command has arrested two suspected members of a four-man kidnapping ring, identified as 29-year-old Adesina Hammed and 28-year-old Oyeladun Iyanu. The remaining two suspects are still at large. The group has been terrorising residents of Osogbo, the state capital.
Police spokesperson Yemisi Opalola on Thursday stated that the arrests followed numerous public complaints through petitions and social media about the kidnapping and extortion activities of the suspects.
On June 5, 2024, at around 7:30 pm, two young men were robbed by the gang along Olaiya towards the Osun Mall area. The suspects, armed with a cutlass, stole an iPhone 13 and forced the victims to withdraw N400,000 from a POS operator.
Acting on a tip-off, the Anti-Cultism Squad apprehended Hammed and Iyanu. Efforts are ongoing to capture the remaining suspects.
Opalola assured residents that the case would be charged to court after the investigation and urged patience as the police work to eradicate crime in the state.
“This is to maintain Osun’s reputation as one of the most peaceful states in the nation,” she said.