A 67-year-old community leader and Seriki Fulani of Ijebu Ode, Muhammadu Abdullahi, is in police custody after operatives allegedly uncovered weapons, suspected ransom proceeds and other items during a raid linked to a kidnapping investigation.
A 67-year-old Fulani community leader, Muhammadu Abdullahi, popularly known as the Seriki Fulani of Ijebu Ode in Ogun State, has been arrested by the police over alleged links to a kidnapping syndicate reportedly coordinated by two of his sons. Abdullahi, a cattle rearer, farmer and community leader who has lived in Ogun State for more than three decades, was arrested following a raid on his family settlement along the Ijebu-Ode/Ibadan Road axis by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Ogun State Police Command.
The operation, led by the officer in charge of the unit, SP Bamidele Shittu, was said to have followed intelligence gathering after the abduction of three residents in the Ipojo Area of Iperin, Atan-Ijebu, on May 11, 2026. The victims were reportedly held for several days before regaining their freedom after ransom payments were made. Police sources said investigations into a series of kidnapping incidents around Ijebu Ode, Imodi, Irewon, Iwode and Okun Owa allegedly pointed to Abdullahi’s son, Bala, who had recently been released from prison after serving a five-year sentence for kidnapping. The sources added that Bala and two of his brothers reportedly fled into the bush after being alerted to the approaching police operation.
According to police sources, a search of the settlement led to the recovery of a bag allegedly used for ransom payments, which was found inside the patriarch’s kitchen. Also recovered were an AK-47 rifle loaded with 10 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, a single-barrel gun, N1.5 million suspected to be ransom proceeds, several mobile phones and a black bag. Police said investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of Abdullahi’s alleged involvement in the activities of the suspected kidnapping syndicate.
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