16-year-old Umaru Muhammed, one of the two suspected herdsmen paraded, yesterday, by the Oyo State Police Command for killing a community youth leader in Onidundun Village, revealed they planned to kidnap their victims for ransom.
The suspects were paraded alongside 31 other suspected criminals at the Oyo State Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.
Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, during the parade, said on July 9, 2021, one Taofeek Olaide received a phone call from one Umaru Mohammed, claiming to have several cows for sale on the instruction of his father at Kara market, Akinyele area of Ibadan.
“Upon the receipt of the call, Taofeek Olaide and one Yusuf Taiwo boarded a motorcycle to Akinyele for the supposed business transaction.
“The duo upon arrival at an agreed spot picked up Umaru Mohammed and proceeded to Oni-Dundu village in Akinyele area where the ranch was supposedly located and a kidnap syndicate arranged by Umaru Mohammed was waiting in ambush.
“The duo innocently walked into the ambush and were greeted with gunshots where Yusuf Taiwo was kidnapped but his partner, Taofeek Olaide, managed to escape.
“Upon receipt of this information, officers from Moniya Division in collaboration with the Ambush team of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, AKS, swung into action, swiftly drifting to the scene and tactically combing the area.
“The display of gallantry led to the rescue of the kidnapped Yusuf Taiwo, who sustained gunshot injury on the thigh from his abductors, and the arrest of some members of the criminal syndicate.
“It is, however, regrettable that while these criminal elements took to their heels to evade arrest, they stumbled upon some youths from Oni-Dundun village and released gunshots at one Usman Mohammed, who was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.”
Speaking with journalists, one of the suspects, 16-year-old Umaru Muhammed, said: “I have not been involved in this kind of crime before, it was my people most of them are currently at large that called me to call some of my customers to come and buy cows from me and they said we can kidnap them for ransom so we can get money. They threatened me that if I don’t cooperate they would deal with me and I was forced to do as I was ordered.”
