Kidnappers of missing Rolak Hotel boss target wife, son, nabbed

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested one three persons suspected to be behind the disappearance of the owner of Rolak Hotel Ijebu Ode, Ajayi Smith, who was abducted two years ago and was never heard of again after N15m ransom was paid.

The state Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement said suspects,  Olufunmilayo Okereke, an employee of Rolak Hotel’s owner; her husband, Larry Adewumi and one Adebowale Sanni, were arrested while allegedly hatching plan to kidnap Smith’s wife and child.

Smith was kidnapped on the September 28, 2020 around 7.30am, on Anifowose Estate, Igbeba, Ijebu Ode by some gunmen.

Oyeyemi said, “That time, men of the anti-kidnapping unit commenced investigation, but all efforts to get the victim out of captivity proved abortive, despite the fact that the victim’s family paid a ransom of N15m to the abductors”.

“Since then, the police have not relent in their efforts to fish out those behind the devilish act.”

“The efforts of the SP Taiwo Opadiran-led team yielded positive result in September this year when they got wind of plan by the hoodlums to strike again. This time, the wife and son of Otunba Ajayi Smith were their target”.

“The team embarked on technical surveillance of the suspects, consequence upon which one of them was traced to Ikeji Arakeji in Osun State, and 55 years old Adebowale Sanni was apprehended.

“He confessed to have been on the trail of Yeye Olusola Roseline Ajayi, the wife of their earlier victim, Otunba Ajayi Smith in order to kidnap her, on the order of Larry Adebayo Adewumi the ring leader, whose wife Olufunmilayo happened to be an employee of Otunba Ajayi Smith.

“He confessed further that it was Larry who described the location of the victim’s hotel and his other business outfits to him with instruction that if they succeeded in kidnapping the woman and her son, the two of them must be killed after collecting ransome in order not to leave any trail, just as they did to her husband two years ago.

“His confession led to the arrest of Larry’s wife, Olufunmilayo, who was a manager at the victim’s building materials shops.

“Larry was arrested three days after; he initially denied having anything to do with the kidnap of Otunba Abayomi Ajayi Smith, but when he came into confrontation with Adebowale Sanni, his accomplice, he knew that the game was up.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that Larry, who is an indigene of Ilesha in Osun State, used to be a fraudster before he graduated into kidnapping business.

“His modus operandi was to scout for a rich victim, after which he will mobilise the gang working for him to go after such person.

“He got full information about Otunba Ajayi Smith through his wife, Olufunmilayo, an employee of the man”.

“Further investigation revealed that Larry has two bank accounts where he keeps money realised from his criminal activities.

“In one of the accounts with number 0010913206  domicile in JAIZ Bank, the sum of N34,953,455 was discovered there, while he has a sum of N4,576,846 in another account with Access Bank.

“A 2014 model Toyota Highlander was also recovered from him.”

The PPRO said the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, commended his men for painstakingly following the suspects until they were arrested, and directed that other members of the gang should be hunted and brought to book.