Ondo man escapes captivity, helps police arrest two suspects
By Boye Oyeyemi
A 55-year-old man, Idowu Alade, who was abducted in Aroge Camp, Idoani, Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, has escaped from his captors, leading to the arrest of two suspected kidnappers.
The Ondo State Police Command said Alade was abducted at about 6 p.m. on August 21, 2026, after leaving his residence to buy a recharge card, and his failure to return prompted relatives and community members to begin a search the following morning.
The police, Amotekun Corps, Ose Bravers Vigilante Group and local hunters subsequently joined the search for Alade and efforts to track down his abductors.
According to the command, Alade escaped from the kidnappers’ hideout at about 4 a.m. on Aug. 23 while his captors were asleep and later found his way to the Ifira area, where security operatives located and rescued him.
The victim was subsequently taken for medical attention, while security operatives mounted surveillance in the area, leading to the arrest of two suspects, Usman Shaibu, 25, and Sanni Musa, 27, by a patrol team from the Isua Police Division at about 2:15 p.m.
The command said Alade later identified the two suspects during an identification exercise, while his mobile phone was also recovered from them, adding that the suspects provided information on other alleged members of the group, including a suspected accomplice based in Auchi.
Following the arrests, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, CP Felix Ohagwu, ordered the transfer of the suspects and case file to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad for further investigation and efforts to apprehend other members of the alleged criminal network.
Ohagwu commended the security personnel and local vigilantes involved in the operation and urged residents to provide timely information to security agencies, assuring the public that the command would sustain efforts to tackle kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state.
