Police Nab Six Over Oyo School Kidnap, Freeze Ransom Accounts

Security agencies investigating the abduction of pupils and teachers from a school in Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, have arrested six suspects believed to have played supporting roles in the operation.

The suspects, according to security reports, were tracked through telephone communications allegedly linked to the kidnappers and are accused of acting as informants and ransom couriers for the criminal gang.

Authorities, however, disclosed that the principal bandits behind the abduction have yet to be arrested and are still hiding in forest locations while efforts to track them continue.

Investigators said those currently in custody are not members of the core kidnapping gang but individuals suspected of providing logistical support and facilitating ransom transactions.

Among those arrested were two commercial motorcyclists allegedly apprehended in the Ojoo area of Ibadan while attempting to collect ransom on behalf of the kidnappers.

Security operatives also arrested three other suspects during follow-up operations conducted in Gbugbu, Kwara State, and Ago-Are in Oyo State.

In a related development, a university student was reportedly arrested by military personnel after a mobile phone belonging to one of the victims was traced to him.

Authorities declined to disclose the identities and specific addresses of the suspects, citing ongoing investigations and prosecution processes.

The Oyo State Police Command said intelligence gathered from intercepted telephone conversations revealed that some of the suspects allegedly supplied information to the kidnappers and guided them through routes within the Old Oyo National Park.

According to the command, the communications suggested that informants helped the bandits navigate difficult terrain and avoid security checkpoints during and after the abduction.

Investigators also disclosed that despite the implementation of the National Identification Number-SIM registration policy, the kidnappers allegedly relied on call-routing technology and network-masking devices to conceal their locations and identities.

Officials familiar with the investigation said the technology made it difficult for security agencies to accurately trace the origin of some communications linked to the gang.

Meanwhile, financial investigators have moved against the suspects’ alleged support network.

Security reports indicated that bank accounts linked to some of the arrested suspects have been frozen following the discovery of suspicious transactions believed to be connected to ransom payments.

The accounts were reportedly identified during a joint investigation involving financial regulators and law enforcement agencies.

Investigators said ransom funds paid by families were allegedly routed through accounts belonging to some of the suspects before being transferred to members of the kidnapping gang operating from forest hideouts.

The arrests are part of ongoing efforts by security agencies to dismantle the network behind the school abduction and secure the release of victims still being held captive.