By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a commercial motorcyclist and six others over the abduction of Omoniyi Eleyinmi, a senior staff member of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA).
The motorcyclist, identified as 45-year-old Benson Alaba, was apprehended alongside Wasiu Ogungbemi, 42; Audu Shaibu, 25; Ismaila Abdullahi, 24; Nuru Bature, 18; Usman Baba, 20; and Yusuf Muhammed, 23.
Eleyinmi, a faculty officer in the university’s Faculty of Education, was abducted on August 4, 2025, with the kidnappers demanding N7 million for his release.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Olayinka Ayanlade, said Alaba was a regular motorcyclist who conveyed Eleyinmi from the university’s gate to his residence in Supare-Akoko, Akoko South West Local Council. He allegedly used this familiarity to plan the abduction in collaboration with the other suspects.
Ayanlade said the arrests followed an intelligence-led operation that uncovered the coordinated roles of the suspects. He said: “Investigation established that one of the suspects, Benson Alaba (45 years) of Akungba-Akoko, a commercial motorcyclist who routinely conveyed the victim to his workplace, used his familiarity to spy on the victim’s movements.
“On August 4, 2025, he visited the victim’s residence without prior arrangement, under the pretence of requesting a handset. This was later confirmed to be a calculated ploy to study the victim’s activities and create an opening for the syndicate. Shortly after his departure, other gang members moved in and abducted the lecturer.
“Further inquiry revealed that Ogungbemi Wasiu, 42, of Okeruwa, Ikare, provided the Itel handset used to contact the victim’s family to demand a ransom of N5 million. Although he claimed the handset was lost on August 2, 2025, he failed to report the loss to the police, a deliberate omission that aided the criminal enterprise. His role was critical in maintaining communication between the kidnappers and the victim’s relatives, thus facilitating the ransom negotiations.
“The investigation also linked Audu Shaibu, 25, Ismaila Abdullahi, 24, Nuru Bature, 18, Usman Baba, 20, and Yusuf Muhammed, 23, all of Agopanu, Owo, to the physical execution of the kidnapping. Eyewitness testimony confirmed that these five suspects, acting in concert with Benson Alaba and under the operational facilitation of Ogungbemi Wasiu, participated in forcibly abducting the victim and directly demanding the ransom from the family during the incident.
“The seamless coordination between Benson Alaba’s surveillance, Ogungbemi Wasiu’s communication support, and the aggressive role of the five field operatives clearly points to a well-organised kidnapping syndicate.”
Ayanlade said the victim is receiving medical attention at the Adekunle Ajasin University Health Centre, while efforts continue to arrest other fleeing accomplices. He added that the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, commended the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, for his support and strategic guidance.