Police Foil Kidnap Attempt, Arrest Suspect, Others in Ogun

Tuesday June 17, 2025|

Ogun State Police Command has successfully thwarted a planned kidnapping in the Abigi area and arrested a notorious suspect, Clement Elijah, who has been on the run since 2024.

Elijah, a suspected serial kidnapper, is believed to have played a key role in a high-profile abduction in Ajelanwa village last year.

The state Police Public Relations Officer Omolola Odutola disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

The arrest was carried out by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, following credible intelligence and support from the local community.

It was gathered that two of Elijah’s accomplices had previously been arrested in connection with the same incident.

According to the statement, Elijah had returned to the Ibiade community on June 13, with intentions to abduct a prominent resident of Ago Village, Abigi.

His plan, however, was thwarted through coordinated action between the police and vigilant residents.

The Command has commended residents for their cooperation and reaffirmed its commitment to rooting out criminal elements across the state.

Odutola said, “Operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping unit apprehended Clement Elijah, a felon who had been on the run since 2024 in connection with a high-profile kidnapping incident at Ajelanwa village, Ogun State.

“Elijah arrived Ibiade community on June 13, 2025, and planned to abduct a prominent individual in Ago Village, Abigi, but his sinister mission was thwarted through timely collaboration between the police and vigilant residents.”

Three days later, on Monday, a clearance operation led to the arrest of the gang’s alleged armourer, Posi Friday.

The PRO Odutola, noted that officers recovered a pump-action rifle, a locally fabricated pistol, and eight live cartridges—concealed inside a Boom speaker—during the arrest.

Commending the successful operation, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, praised residents of the Ibiade and Abigi communities for their vigilance and cooperation.

“We appreciate the sustained communication and support from the communities. Their role was critical in preventing yet another crime and in the apprehension of these suspects,” he said.

In a separate incident, the command also confirmed the arrest of 14 suspected cultists from rival groups on June 16, 2025.

The suspects were reportedly planning violent attacks as part of a supremacy clash linked to their institution’s signing-out celebration.

Odutola stated that operatives from the Anti-Cultism Unit apprehended the suspects in coordinated raids across Ijagun, Ogbo, Ijele, and Imaweje areas of Ijebu Ode.

“All suspects and recovered weapons are currently being processed at the State Criminal Investigation Department, where further investigations are underway,” she added.