ABEOKUTA, Nigeria — The Ogun State Police Command has traced a recent rise in kidnapping cases around Ijebu-Ode to a suspected criminal network operating from a Fulani settlement, after investigators reportedly recovered a bag used in a ransom payment from the home of a community leader.
Police sources said the investigation led officers to the residence of 67-year-old Abdullahi Muhammadu, the Seriki Fulani of Ijebu-Ode, where one of the bags allegedly used to deliver ransom for a kidnap victim was found in his kitchen. Muhammadu was arrested alongside one of his sons, while other suspected members of the alleged gang fled before officers arrived.
According to police sources, the principal suspect is Bala Muhammadu, one of the Seriki Fulani’s sons, who had previously served a five-year prison sentence for kidnapping. Investigators said kidnapping incidents in the area increased after Bala’s release from prison. Police also named two other suspects, identified as Ndaji and another unnamed person, as wanted in connection with the case.
A police source said officers had acted on intelligence gathered after several abduction cases. “After painstaking and intelligence-led investigation, one of the bags used in the payment of ransom for one of the victims was recovered in the father’s kitchen,” the source said. The source added that a child in the community allegedly alerted Bala and his brothers when security operatives approached, enabling them to escape through nearby bushes.
The Seriki Fulani reportedly denied direct involvement in the kidnappings but admitted knowing that Bala had previously been involved in kidnapping. He also said he had cared for Bala after his release from prison and encouraged him to change.
The case has heightened concern among residents of Ijebu-Ode and surrounding communities, where kidnappings for ransom have become a growing security threat. Earlier this month, police launched a manhunt after gunmen abducted three family members from Ipojo Golden Estate in Oke-Eri, Ijebu-Ode.
Police authorities have urged the public to avoid ethnic profiling and allow investigators to pursue specific suspects. Security analysts warn that linking crimes broadly to ethnic communities can inflame tension and expose innocent residents to reprisal attacks.
The command said efforts were ongoing to arrest Bala, Ndaji and other fleeing suspects. Investigators are also working to determine whether the group is connected to other unresolved abductions in the area.
