Police arrest suspect over ₦3m kidnap-and-kill threat in Oyo

The Oyo State Police Command has apprehended a suspect in connection with a threatening kidnap-and-kill scheme against a 50-year-old resident of Seni Salla Village in Saki, along with his family members. The arrest followed a complaint filed on September 19, 2026, by the victim, Metu Jilani, who reported receiving threatening telephone calls on September 13.

The callers had claimed they had been hired to kidnap and murder Jilani and his kin, warning that fleeing would result in his younger brother's abduction. Following the complaint, the police launched an intelligence-led operation, which led to the arrest of two men, Hantsi Abdullahi and Hantsi Liman, on September 18. Abdullahi was apprehended while attempting to withdraw the demanded ₦3 million from a Point-of-Sale operator's account, while Liman managed to escape.

Abdullahi was subsequently attacked by an angry mob, and the police intervened to take him to the hospital for medical attention. The police commissioner, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, has directed a comprehensive investigation into the matter and emphasized the importance of public reporting of threats and suspicious activities.