Police arrest two foreigners over alleged kidnap plot in Kwara
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
Operatives of the Kwara State Police Command have arrested two foreign nationals over an alleged kidnapping plot and recovered a mobile phone believed to have been used to issue threatening calls to a resident in Baruten Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, said in a statement on Wednesday that the suspects, identified as Yakubu Ismaila and Hadiza Kosia, are both nationals of the Republic of Togo.
According to the statement, the operation followed a complaint by one S. Ismaila of Okuta, who reported to the Okuta Police Division that he had received several anonymous calls demanding N22 million to prevent his planned abduction.
The police said the caller also threatened to kidnap the complainant and kill his younger brother, Musa Ismaila, if the ransom demand was not met, prompting an immediate security response.
Following the report, police operatives launched an intelligence-led operation in collaboration with the Intelligence Response Team and used technical support to track and arrest the two suspects.
Preliminary investigations, according to the command, linked the suspects to the alleged criminal conspiracy. The police added that both suspects confessed during interrogation, while a mobile phone allegedly used to make the threatening calls was recovered and taken into custody as evidence.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, commended the professionalism and swift response of the operatives, saying their prompt action prevented what could have become a major security incident. He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and vowed to track down other members of the suspected criminal network.
The commissioner also urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to the police. He assured the public that investigations were ongoing and that everyone connected to the alleged plot would be brought to justice.
