of Ogun State Police Command have arrested a couple, Larry Adebayo Adewumi, his wife Okereke Olufunmilayo and Adebowale Sanni over the abduction and killing of a popular hotelier, Otunba Abayomi Ajayi Smith, the Director of Rolak Hotel Ijebu Ode.
Otunba Ajayi Smith was kidnapped on the 28th of September 2020 at about 7:30 am, at Anifowose Estate Igbeba, Ijebu Ode by some gunmen.
NigeriaCrime.com gathered that all efforts by security operatives to get the victim out of captivity proved abortive, although the victim’s family paid a ransom of 15 million naira to the abductors.
On receiving the information about the kidnap, men of Anti kidnapping unit were then mobilised to commence investigation to fish out those behind the devilish act.
The efforts of the SP Taiwo Opadiran-led team yielded positive results in September this year when they got wind of the plan by the hoodlums to strike again, this time, the wife and son of Otunba Ajayi Smith were their target.
The team, having got the intelligence report, embarked on technical surveillance for the suspects, consequence upon which one of them was traced to Ikeji Arakeji in Osun state, where the 55 years old Adebowale Sanni was apprehended.
During interrogation, Adebowale Sanni confessed to have been on the trail of Yeye Olusola Roseline Ajayi, the wife of their earlier victim, Otunba Ajayi Smith to kidnap her, on the order of Larry Adebayo Adewumi the ring leader, whose wife Olufunmilayo happened to be an employee of Otunba Ajayi Smith.
Adebowale Sanni further revealed that it was Larry who described the location of the victim’s hotel and his other business outfits to him with instruction that if they succeeded in kidnapping the woman and her son, the two of them must be killed after collecting ransom in order not to leave any trace, just as they did to her husband two years ago.
Adebowale Sanni’s confession led to the arrest of Larry’s wife Olufunmilayo who was a manager at the victim’s building materials shops.
Larry himself was arrested three days after, he initially denied having anything to do with the kidnap of Otunba Abayomi Ajayi Smith, but when he came into confrontation with Adebowale Sanni, his accomplice, he knew immediately that the game is up.
Confirming the arrest, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Police Command said preliminary investigation revealed that Larry who is an indigene of Ilesha Osun state used to be a fraudster before he graduated to full-time kidnapping business.”
“His modus operandi was to scout for a rich victim, after which he will mobilise the gang working for him to go after such person.
He got full information about Otunba Ajayi Smith through his wife Olufunmilayo who was an employee of the man.
Further investigation revealed that Larry has two bank accounts that he used to keep money realized from his criminal activities.
In one of the accounts with number 0010913206 domicile in JAIZ Bank, the sum of Thirty-four million, nine hundred and fifty-three thousand four hundred and fifty-five naira (N34,953,455) was discovered there in, while he has the sum of four million five hundred and seventy-six thousand eight hundred and forty-six naira (N4,576,846) in another account with Access Bank.”
“A 2014 model Toyota Highlander was also recovered from him.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, who commended his men for painstakingly following the suspects until they were arrested, directed that other members of the gang should be hunted for and brought to book.
He also directed that the arrested suspects be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.