Ondo Amotekun rescues kidnapped prophet, foils N100m ransom payment

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, known as Amotekun Corps, has rescued a kidnapped prophet and prevented his abductors from collecting a N100 million ransom.

The victim, Prophet Joshua Oluwaseun Ariyo, was rescued alive on Wednesday after spending several days in captivity, according to the state Amotekun Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye.

Adeleye disclosed this while parading nine suspects at the command headquarters in Alagbaka, Akure, saying Ariyo was kidnapped shortly after a church programme around the Ogbese-Usó axis at about 7:30 p.m.

He said the abductors initially demanded N100 million but later threatened to kill the cleric when it became apparent that the ransom might not be paid, prompting security operatives to intensify their search.

According to the commander, Amotekun operatives searched the surrounding forest in line with the state government’s directive against ransom payments, while cooperation among security agencies and useful information from residents contributed to the rescue at about 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Recounting his ordeal, Ariyo said the kidnappers tied his hands and legs, covered his eyes and beat him severely before taking him deeper into the forest, where they later dug a grave and threatened to kill him after failing to secure the ransom.

The prophet said he heard gunshots while in captivity and realised that security operatives were closing in on the abductors, commending the Amotekun Corps, other security agencies, farmers and residents for their sustained efforts that led to his freedom.

Adeleye said the nine suspects being paraded were arrested for offences including kidnapping, armed robbery, motorcycle theft and fraud, adding that some suspects linked to the alleged abduction of a traditional ruler were also arrested and were assisting investigators with information on other criminal activities. He also warned business owners against accepting unverified bank alerts following the arrest of a suspected fraudster allegedly using fake transfer notifications to obtain goods from supermarkets.