Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a suspect in connection with a kidnap-and-kill threat made against a 50-year-old resident of Seni Salla Village in Saki and members of his family, following an intelligence-led operation that led detectives to a Point-of-Sale operator in Kwara State.
The arrest was disclosed in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, and issued on Monday. According to the statement, the case was reported to the police on September 19, 2026, at about 6:20 p.m., when the complainant, Metu Jilani, told officers that he had received threatening telephone calls from unknown persons on September 13. The callers claimed they had been contracted to kidnap and kill him and his family, warning that any attempt to flee would result in the abduction of his younger brother.
After establishing the nature of the threat, the callers made a financial demand, providing Jilani with an account belonging to a Point-of-Sale operator, one Muhydeen Salihu of Gwasoro Village, via Kosubosu, Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, and directing him to pay ₦3 million into the account. Rather than comply with the full demand, the complainant transferred ₦100,000 into the designated account, a decision that provided investigators with a critical lead.
The police said attention was focused on the persons who would attempt to access the money and their possible connection to the threats. On September 18, at about 10 a.m., two men identified as Hantsi Abdullahi of Boseperu, Kosubosu, Baruten LGA, Kwara State, and Hantsi Liman of the same address, went to the POS operator to withdraw the money. While attempting to collect the funds, Abdullahi was apprehended, while Liman escaped from the scene.
Following the arrest, the suspect was attacked by an angry mob before police operatives intervened and took him to a hospital for medical attention. He is currently on admission, while concerted efforts are ongoing to apprehend his fleeing accomplice and determine the full circumstances surrounding the threat, including the identities and roles of other persons who may be connected with the case.
The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, has directed a thorough investigation into the matter and ordered sustained efforts to apprehend all persons found to be connected with the offence. The Command urged members of the public to promptly report threats, suspicious movements and other actionable information to the police, noting that timely reporting remains critical to enabling effective intervention and preventing criminal activities.
The incident is the latest in a series of kidnapping and threat cases that have tested the Oyo State Police Command's capacity in recent months. In September 2026 alone, the Command arrested a suspected member of a kidnapping syndicate at Kanbi Village in Atisbo Local Government Area, along with two others accused of concealing kidnapping activities. On September 7, the Command confirmed that six children abducted by a suspected child-stealing and human trafficking syndicate had died in captivity, while 17 others were rescued and seven suspects were paraded. In August, the DSS released a carpenter, Mustapha Marwana, and paid him ₦3 million in compensation after investigators found no evidence linking him to the May abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, a case in which two teachers were killed.
The Command has also recorded significant successes in its broader campaign against kidnapping. On September 9, the police announced the arrest of 25 suspected kidnappers, armed robbers and cult members, and the rescue of five victims after raiding criminal hideouts along the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway. A human skull was recovered from suspects arrested in Iseyin and Saki during the operation.
Oyo State has been under sustained pressure from kidnapping and banditry, particularly in the Oke-Ogun axis, which includes Saki West, Saki East, Atisbo and Irepo local government areas. In June 2026, Governor Seyi Makinde declared a 16-hour curfew in 10 local government areas following a surge in kidnapping, and the state subsequently acquired surveillance aircraft to strengthen aerial reconnaissance and intelligence gathering in high-risk areas. The deployment of the aircraft was designed to help police and Amotekun personnel narrow search areas and conduct targeted operations rather than blind searches.
The latest case highlights the growing use of Point-of-Sale operators and accounts as conduits for ransom payments, a trend that has made financial trails central to kidnapping investigations. By directing the complainant to transfer money into a POS account rather than demanding cash, the suspects created a digital record that ultimately led to their identification. The swift action of the police in tracing the account and apprehending one of the suspects underscores the importance of financial intelligence in combating kidnapping, a crime that has historically been difficult to prosecute due to the anonymity of cash-based ransom payments.
For the people of Seni Salla Village and the wider Saki community, the arrest brings a measure of reassurance that the threat against one of their own is being taken seriously. But the fact that the suspect is still receiving medical treatment and his accomplice remains at large means the investigation is far from complete. The police have urged residents to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity, stressing that the cooperation of the public is essential to preventing criminal activities and bringing offenders to justice. As the investigation continues, the Command has promised to keep the public informed of further developments. The suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
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