The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, has rescued a kidnapped prophet, Joshua Oluwaseun Ariyo, and foiled the payment of a N100m ransom demanded by his abductors.
The victim was rescued alive and in good condition on Wednesday after spending several days in the kidnappers’ custody, according to the state Amotekun Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye.
Adeleye disclosed this while parading nine suspects at the corps headquarters in Alagbaka, Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday.
He said Ariyo was abducted shortly after a church programme around the Ogbese/Uso axis at about 7:30pm, adding that the kidnappers initially demanded N100m for his release.
According to him, the abductors later threatened to kill the victim when they realised that the ransom might not be paid.
The commander said the security operatives, acting on the directive of the state government against ransom payments, immediately mobilised and cordoned off the area before commencing a search of the surrounding forest.
He said the operation was carried out in collaboration with other security agencies and with useful information provided by members of the public.
Adeleye said the victim was eventually located and rescued at about 4pm on Wednesday, while efforts were continuing to track down other members of the kidnapping gang.
Narrating his ordeal, Ariyo said the kidnappers stormed the area after the church programme and began shooting before taking him into the forest.
He said the gang tied his hands and legs, blindfolded him and beat him repeatedly while in captivity.
Ariyo said the abductors later dug a grave and threatened to kill him after concluding that the ransom might not be paid.
“I was hearing gunshots inside the forest. The last one I heard was very close to where they tied me.
They tied my hands, covered my eyes, tied my legs and beat me more than I expected,” he said.
The prophet attributed his survival to divine intervention and commended Amotekun operatives, other security agencies, farmers and residents who contributed to the search and rescue operation.
He said, “They were there from Monday, going up and down and searching for those people in the forest. They are the ones who brought me out of the forest.”
Meanwhile, Adeleye said nine suspects were being paraded for various offences, including kidnapping, armed robbery and motorcycle theft.
He disclosed that two suspects, Odinese Ayodeji and Musa Azam, were arrested over an alleged armed robbery involving a petrol station attendant, adding that the stolen money had been recovered.
The commander also announced the arrest of Koredo Shaya and Juan Tosi over alleged motorcycle theft, saying Shaya allegedly dismantled stolen motorcycles and disguised himself as a cart pusher to move the parts away.
He added that his alleged accomplice used spray to change the colours of stolen motorcycles to make them difficult to identify.
Adeleye further disclosed that two suspects linked to the kidnapping of a traditional ruler in the state several months ago had been arrested and were assisting the security agencies with information on other criminal activities.
The Amotekun commander also warned traders against accepting unverified bank transfer alerts, following the arrest of a suspected fraudster who allegedly used fake payment alerts to obtain goods from supermarkets.
He said more than nine complaints had been received before plain-clothes operatives were deployed, leading to the suspect’s arrest.
Adeleye commended Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for providing an enabling environment for security agencies and urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security authorities.