Woman Connive With Husband, To Kidnap, Kill Employer After Collecting N15m Ransom

The Ogun State Police Command says it has arrested a woman, Okereke Olufunmilayo, who connived with her husband, Larry Adebayo Adewumi with one, Adebowale Sanni for abducting and killing a popular hotelier, Otunba Abayomi Ajayi Smith, the Director of Rolak Hotel Ijebu Ode.

Spokesman of the command, Abimbola Oyeyemi disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday and posted on the command’s Twitter handle.

Oyeyemi said 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.

According to him, on receiving the information about the kidnap, men of Anti kidnapping unit then mobilised to commence the investigation, but all efforts to get the victim out of captivity proved abortive, even though the victim’s family paid a ransom of 15 million naira to the abductors.

He said since then, police operatives have not relented in their efforts 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,” Oyeyemi said.

“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 Adebowale Sanni was apprehended.

“On interrogation, he confessed to having been on the trail of Yeye Olusola Roseline Ajayi Smith to kidnap her, on the order of Larry Adebayo Adewunmi the ring leader, whose wife Olufunmilayo happened to be an employee of Otunba Ajayi Smith.

“He confessed further that it was Larry who described the location of the victim’s hotel and his other business outfit 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 other not to leave any trace just as they did to her husband two years ago. His confession led to the arrest of Larry’s wife, Olufunmilayo who was a manager at the victim’s building material shops.

“Larry himself was arrested 3 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.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that Larry who is an indigene of Ilesha Osun State used to be a fraudster before he graduated to a full-time kidnapping business. His modus operandi was to scout for a rich victim, after which he will mobilise his gang working for him to go after a 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 where he used to keep money realised from his criminal activities.”

The police image maker further disclosed that “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 (#34,953,455) was discovered therein, while he has the sum of Four million, Five hundred and seventy-six thousand eight hundred and forty-six naira (#4,576,846) in another account with Access bank. A 2014 model Toyota highlander was also recovered from him.”

Oyeyemi further said the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre. S 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 in court as soon as the investigation is concluded.

Subscribe to our newsletter for latest news and updates. You can disable anytime.