How trusted motorcyclist plotted AAUA official’s abduction – Police

The Ondo State Police Command has disclosed that a commercial motorcyclist has been arrested for orchestrating the abduction of the senior staff member of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Omoniyi Eleyinmi.

The motorcyclist, Benson Alaba, 45, was apprehended along with six others, who participated in the kidnapping of Eleyinmi last Monday.

Eleyinmi, a faculty officer in the institution’s Faculty of Education, was abducted on August 4, 2025, with N7 million ransom demanded for his release by the kidnappers.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Olayinka Ayanlade, Alaba was a regular ‘bike man’ of Eleyinmi, who had been conveying him from the university’s gate to his residence in Supare-Akoko, Akoko South West Local Council Area of the state.

The PPRO emphasised that Alaba explored his familiarity with Eleyinmi to kidnap him following his connivance with Wasiu Ogungbemi, 42; Audu Shaibu, 25 years; Ismaila Abdullahi, 24 years; Nuru Bature, 18 years; Usman Baba, 20 years; and Yusuf Muhammed, 23 years.

Ayanlade stated that the arrests followed a discreet, intelligence-driven operation by operatives of the command, which uncovered the coordinated roles each suspect played in the crime.

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 4th August 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 years) of Okeruwa, Ikare, provided the Itel handset used to contact the victim’s family to demand a ransom of ₦5,000,000. Although he claimed the handset was lost on 2nd August 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 years), Ismaila Abdullahi (24 years), Nuru Bature (18 years), Usman Baba (20 years), and Yusuf Muhammed (23 years), 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.”

“With the victim currently receiving medical attention at the Adekunle Ajasin University Health Centre, be assured that the investigation into the case will continue in order to arrest other fleeing accomplices and ensure they face the full weight of the law.

“The command remains unwavering in its determination to dismantle kidnapping syndicates and protect the lives and property of all residents in Ondo State.

“The Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, CP Adebowale Lawal, psc(+), mnips, also seizes this opportunity to commend the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, for his continuous support, strategic guidance, and morale-boosting initiatives.

“These have been pivotal to the successes recorded in the command’s crime-fighting efforts, enhancing operational effectiveness and strengthening community confidence in policing.”