Abdullahi Muhammadu, an officer from the Department of State Services (DSS) assigned to the anti-kidnapping squad in Okeogun, Oyo State, testified before Justice E.U. Akpan at the Federal High Court in Ibadan. He disclosed that local security personnel played a crucial role in facilitating the arrest of suspected kidnappers.

Muhammadu explained, “Upon receiving information about kidnappers operating along Iganna Road, we proceeded to the scene and discovered that a group of local vigilantes had already engaged and restrained them. We then took over the rest of the operation.”

During the investigation, the suspects, Aliyu Muhammadu and Idris Umar, confessed to being part of the kidnapping activities that terrorized the people of Okeogun and travellers on Iganna routes. Additionally, it was revealed that both Muhammadu and Umar were among the 400 inmates who escaped during the 2021 jailbreak at the Abolongo Custodial Medium Centre in Oyo Town.

Muhammadu further stated, “The apprehended kidnappers admitted to robbing some of their victims of N1.2 million. During our search, we were able to recover N500,000 in cash from the stolen amount.”

One of the victims who managed to escape identified the second defendant as one of the kidnappers who had held him captive. The victim also recounted that the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million but eventually agreed to accept N10 million before being intercepted by the vigilantes.

The witness, through the prosecution counsel, Mrs Aderonke Imama, submitted the confessional statements of the defendants as evidence before the court. However, the Defence Counsel, Mr Femi Oyinloye, opposed the submission, citing the absence of the defendants’ relatives during the statement-writing process and his lack of access to the statements beforehand.

In a re-examination, the witness clarified that lawyers from the Legal Aid Council were present during the investigation and witnessed the defendants making their confessions.

Justice Akpan admitted the confessional statements as evidence and adjourned the case until March 11 for the continuation of the trial.

It is important to note that Aliyu Muhammadu, 22, and Idris Umar, 22, are facing charges related to hostage-taking, highway robbery, unlawful possession of firearms, and the unlawful escape from correctional facilities.