A popular petroleum products dealer, Alhaji Suleiman Akinbami, who was kidnapped in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, has regained his freedom 

The victim was set free by his abductors on Sunday afternoon, January 17 around Kogi State after a week in captivity.

Eons Intelligence recalls that Akinbami was abducted in his filling station by four gunmen who ordered him to a Toyota jeep and whisked him away around 8: 30pm on Sunday night, January 11.

Sequel to the incident, the Ekiti State Police command deployed a special team of policemen assisted by the Amotekun corp to comb nearby forests to track the criminals and ensure the rescue of the victim. 

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Confirming the release, a source close to the family, said he could not ascertain yet if any ransom was paid to secure his freedom.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, who also confirmed the release of the oil merchant, said, “he was released around 3pm somewhere in Kogi State.”

Abutu said officers of the command had not rested since Akinbami was abducted last week, adding, “We have been on the trail of the kidnappers; a serious manhunt was launched for them; we believe that it was when the criminals felt that the pressure was much that made them to release him.

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“No arrest has been made. Efforts are still ongoing.”

He stated that he was not aware of any ransom payment to secure Akinbami’s release, saying, “as a matter of fact, we don’t negotiate with criminals. I am not aware of any ransom.

“The plain fact is that the police work better with useful and timely information. We are telling our people that they should give us useful and timely information that can lead to the arrest of those suspects and other criminal elements in the society. They should be security conscious and ensure that they watch out for people around them.”

Ekiti State has gained notoriety for criminal activities such as killings and kidnappings recently.

Unknown gunmen on Friday, November 27, 2020 shot dead a police officer and abducted a Chinese National in the

State, but was released after spending five days in captivity.

In a similar incident, on September 15, 2020, one person was killed and two others were kidnapped, including a retired United States Army officer, Major Jide Ijadare along Ijan Ekiti-Ise Ekiti Road, in the Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

Jide Ijadare was released after four days in the kidnappers' den.

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