The Oyo State Police Command has arrested three suspects linked to the kidnap and murder of Rachel Opadele, a final-year student of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso.
Recall that Rachel alongside Olugbenga Owolabi, a US-based hotelier was kidnapped and killed by their abductors after a N5 million ransom payment in August 2022. Read here
The suspects were arrested after kidnapping another victim, one Alhaji Waheed Hameed, a Cattle dealer on September 16 and demanding a N1 million ransom from his family. The victim's family was said to have reported the case to the police who then teamed up with the local hunters and vigilante groups in the area to combat the forest where he was being held.
Alhaji Hameed was eventually rescued unhurt and while narrating his ordeal, he disclosed that while the kidnappers were negotiating his ransom, they claimed responsibility for the death of the Ogbomosho hotelier, Mr. Gbenga Owolabi, and threatened that he (the abductee) would suffer a similar fate should the police be involved.
The Oyo state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP. Adewale Osifeso said Hameed gave useful information to the Police operatives which led to the arrest of three members of the kidnapping syndicate.
