Kwara Police Foil ₦22m Kidnap Plot, Arrest Two Foreign Suspects

The Kwara State Police Command has foiled a planned kidnapping and ₦22 million extortion plot, arresting two foreign nationals and recovering the mobile phone allegedly used to threaten the victim.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo. She said the operation aligns with the strategic policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, aimed at strengthening intelligence-led crime prevention.

According to the statement, the operation was launched after a resident of Okuta, S. Ismaila, reported receiving threatening phone calls from an unknown caller demanding ₦22 million to prevent his abduction. The caller also allegedly threatened to kidnap the complainant and kill his younger brother, Musa Ismaila, if the ransom was not paid.

Curious Television News reports that acting on the report, police operatives, working with the Intelligence Response Team and using technical intelligence, tracked and arrested two suspects identified as Yakubu Ismaila and Hadiza Kosia, both nationals of the Republic of Togo. The suspects reportedly confessed to their involvement during interrogation, while the phone allegedly used to make the threatening calls was recovered as evidence.

Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, commended the swift and coordinated efforts of the operatives for preventing what could have escalated into a major security incident. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to intelligence-driven policing, assured residents that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal network, and urged the public to continue providing timely and credible information to support efforts at maintaining peace and security across Kwara State.