The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a suspect in connection with an alleged plot to kidnap and kill a 50-year-old resident of Seni Salla Village, Saki, and members of his family.
The suspect, identified as Hantsi Abdullahi, was arrested after the police launched an intelligence-led operation following a complaint by the victim, Metu Jilani.
The Command disclosed this in a statement signed by its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, and issued on Monday.
According to the statement, Jilani reported the matter to the police on September 19, 2026, at about 6:20pm, after receiving threatening phone calls from unidentified persons on September 13.
The callers allegedly told him they had been contracted to abduct and kill him and his family, while warning that fleeing would lead to the abduction of his younger brother.
The suspects subsequently demanded ₦3 million from Jilani and directed him to pay the money into an account belonging to a Point-of-Sale operator, Muhydeen Salihu, of Gwasoro Village, via Kosubosu in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Rather than transfer the full amount, Jilani reportedly deposited ₦100,000 into the designated account.
The police said the transaction provided an investigative lead, allowing operatives to monitor individuals who might attempt to withdraw the money.
The Command said that on September 18, at about 10am, two men, identified as Hantsi Abdullahi and Hantsi Liman, both of Boseperu, Kosubosu, went to the POS operator to collect the money.
While Abdullahi was apprehended, Liman reportedly escaped from the scene.
The arrested suspect was subsequently attacked by an angry mob before police operatives intervened and took him to a hospital for medical attention.
He remains on admission, while the police said efforts are ongoing to arrest his alleged accomplice and establish the identities and roles of other persons who may be connected with the threat.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, directed that the case be thoroughly investigated and ordered sustained efforts to apprehend all suspects linked to the alleged offence.
The Command also urged residents to promptly report threats, suspicious movements and other actionable information to the police, stressing that timely reporting could help prevent criminal activities.
