Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested three suspected members of a cross-state kidnapping syndicate in connection with the abduction of a businesswoman in the Ijedodo area of Lagos.
The suspects were said to have travelled from Agadagba community in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State to Lagos, where they carried out the abduction and allegedly collected N21 million as ransom before releasing their victim.
They were identified as Semi Buawe, 35; Oluwatomi Obosi, 37; and Bamure Telemowei.
According to police sources, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit tracked the suspects to their hideout in Agadagba, Ese-Odo LGA, Ondo State, where they were apprehended.
However, the alleged leader of the gang, identified only as "ID," remains at large. Police sources allege that he has links to kidnapping operations across several states.
Victim Held for Three Days
The victim, whose identity was withheld, was reportedly held captive for three days in a bush in Ijedodo.
Her family secured her release after allegedly paying the kidnappers N21 million, along with a bottle of schnapps, a power bank, and one kilogram of frozen turkey.
How the Gang Allegedly Operated
Investigations revealed that the gang planned the operation in Ondo State before travelling to Lagos in April 2026 to carry out the abduction.
After collecting the ransom, the suspects allegedly returned immediately to the same community in Ondo State.
Police said the pattern highlights the increasingly cross-border nature of kidnapping operations in the South-West.
‘I Quit, But He Pressured Me’ — Buawe Confesses
Following his arrest, 35-year-old Buawe, a sawmill worker, admitted participating in the kidnapping.
He said he had been involved in kidnapping since 2010 but had decided to quit before "ID" approached him with another operation.
Buawe, an indigene of Agadagba in Ese-Odo LGA, said he previously lived in Lagos before returning to his hometown to do business.
He explained that although he and ID had both been involved in kidnapping, they were not originally members of the same gang.
According to Buawe, ID contacted him in April about a kidnapping operation in Lagos. He initially refused, but ID allegedly persisted, even bringing friends to persuade him.
The gang reportedly sought out Buawe because of his familiarity with Lagos.
No Specific Target
Buawe said the gang did not have a particular victim in mind.
According to him, ID said they were going to Ijedodo to look for a wealthy target. While walking around the area, ID stopped in front of an attractive duplex and concluded that the owner must be rich.
The Abduction
Buawe alleged that ID and another member, identified as Alfred, entered the house while he and Oluwatomi kept watch outside.
ID reportedly emerged with a woman, and the group headed for a nearby bush. When the woman began shouting for help, a passerby intervened but fled after ID allegedly fired into the air.
Negotiations and Captivity
Once in the bush, ID took charge of negotiations with the victim’s family and instructed her to contact her relatives.
After two days, ID and two other gang members left, leaving the woman in the custody of Buawe and "Tommy."
Buawe said the victim initially refused food. On the third day, she ate only biscuits. When supplies ran out, the gang allegedly used her phone to transfer N150,000 to a POS operator in Ijedodo and collected the cash.
N21 Million Ransom Paid
On the third day, the gang allegedly received the ransom. The family initially offered N16 million, but ID rejected it despite pressure from other gang members.
The gang eventually collected N21 million, a bottle of Eagle schnapps, a power bank, and one kilogram of frozen turkey. Buawe said the money was collected in dollars.
From the proceeds, he claimed to have received N1.5 million, which he said was too small to use for anything meaningful. He also admitted taking one of the victim’s two phones.
Fallout in Ondo
After returning to Ondo, Buawe said he had a disagreement with ID and told him he no longer wanted to work with him. ID allegedly became suspicious, believing Buawe might set him up.
Buawe said he later gave the victim’s phone to a Hausa bureau de change operator who is yet to pay him.
‘I Needed Money to Marry’ — Second Suspect Speaks
The second suspect, 37-year-old Oluwatomi Obosi, alias "Tommy," gave a different account.
He said his involvement began after his mother and grandfather urged him to settle down and get married. In April, he travelled to Agadagba and proposed to a woman, who told him to seek her elder sister’s consent.
It was during that process that he met ID, the husband of his girlfriend’s sister.
According to Tommy, ID recruited him because he could translate Yoruba for the gang.
Tommy admitted he agreed to participate because he desperately needed money to marry. He said he received N2.5 million from the operation, but ID later collected N200,000 from each member.
Tommy is now in police custody.
Police Confirm Arrests
Confirming the development, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing gang leader, ID.
She said the arrested suspects remain in custody and will be charged to court after investigations are concluded.
The police appealed to members of the public with useful information about ID’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station.
According to Adebisi:
"There will be no hiding place for criminals in Lagos State."
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