Police rescue 5-year-old hostage, arrest 2 suspects in Oyo

Thursday, July 16, 2026 - The Oyo State Police Command has rescued a five-year-old kidnap victim, Fikayo Gbemiga and arrested two suspects.

The suspects, Seyi Adegboye and Adefemi Adegboye, abducted the minor from her residence in the Iyana Offa area of Ibadan on July 3, 2026. 

The spokesperson for the command, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, 15th July, 2026 said the suspects demanded a N10 million ransom from her family.

According to the PPRO, the suspects had earlier received a ransom payment of N1 million Osun State, on 8 July, as part of negotiations with the victim’s family. 

“Operatives of the Command Anti-Kidnapping Squad leveraged on technology and other investigative tools to identify the suspects’ hideout, rescue the victim, immediately take her for medical care and arrest the suspects,” the statement read.

"The arrest followed a sustained intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Command.

"In a continued effort to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes, the Oyo State Police Command has recorded another major breakthrough with the arrest of two suspected kidnappers and the successful rescue of a five-year-old girl, Miss Fikayo Gbemiga, who was abducted on 3 July 2026 from her residence in the Iyana Offa area of Ibadan.

"Following this development, an intensive, intelligence-led investigation was undertaken by operatives of the Command Anti-kidnapping Squad, who painstakingly deployed technological and other investigative tools to trace and identify the suspects. 

"The sustained operation culminated in the arrest of the principal suspects on 11 July 2026 at about 10:30 p.m. at their hideout in the Mojoyin Molade area of Iwo Road, Ibadan.

"Preliminary investigation revealed that the duo, identified as Adegboye Seyi Sunday ‘M’ (37 years) and Adegboye Elijah Adefemi ‘M’ (25 years), unlawfully gained access to the complainant’s residence, abducted the five-year-old victim and subsequently demanded a ransom of Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000.00) for her release.

"Acting on credible intelligence generated during the course of the investigation, operatives stormed the suspects’ hideout where the victim was rescued unhurt at about 10:35 p.m. 

"The operation also led to the arrest of both suspects before they could relocate the child or evade justice.

"Further investigation established that the suspects had earlier received a ransom payment of One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) at Gbongan, Osun State, on 8 July 2026, as part of negotiations with the victim’s family.

"The suspects are currently cooperating with investigators, while efforts are ongoing to recover the ransom already collected and apprehend other members of the criminal syndicate who remain at large.

"Commending the professionalism, resilience and dedication of the operatives whose painstaking investigation led to the successful rescue of the child and the arrest of the suspects, the Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, psc, mnips, reassures residents that the Command remains resolute in its determination to rid Oyo State of kidnapping and other violent crimes through intelligence-led policing and robust collaboration with members of the public.

“In the same vein, the Command therefore urges residents to remain vigilant and continue to provide timely, credible and actionable information to the Police, assuring them that every useful intelligence will be treated with utmost confidentiality and acted upon promptly.”