Kidnapper of Oyo Children Shares Reason for Involvement in Abduction, Video Trends
- A youth who took part in a kidnapping attack in Oyo state has blamed supernatural influence after his arrest
- The suspect was arrested in connection with the abduction of two children in Ibarapa axis of the state on Friday, June 27, 2026
- Following his arrest by security operatives, 25-year-old Umaru Usman gave an account of his involvement in the abduction
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering security matters in Nigeria and Africa.
Ibadan, Oyo state - Umaru Usman, one of the suspects arrested by operatives of the Oyo State Police Command over the abduction of two children, has blamed black magic for his alleged involvement in the crime.
Legit.ng previously reported that the Oyo State Police Command rescued the abducted children and arrested four suspects in connection with the incident.
Source: Facebook
The arrests come amid growing concerns over insecurity in Oyo state, particularly in rural communities.
The development was disclosed in a statement by the command's spokesperson, Olayinka Ayanlade, titled, 'Oyo Police Rescue Abducted Children, Arrest Four Kidnap Suspects'.
It was gathered that the victims were kidnapped on Friday, June 27, 2026, in Ebinpejo village, via Lanlate in Ibarapa East Local Government Area (LGA).
Oyo police arrest kidnap suspects
The police said that through the collaborative efforts of security agencies and “credible intelligence,” they successfully traced the abductors' hideout deep within the forest.
Amid an exchange of gunfire, the captors reportedly fled, with at least one suspected criminal sustaining gunshot wounds. The suspect, Usman, 25, was subsequently arrested, The Nation noted.
Follow-up operations led to the arrest of at least three more suspects.
Oyo kidnap suspects trade blame
Meanwhile, a review by Legit.ng on Tuesday, June 30, of interviews conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Channels Television, and Arise News after the suspects' arrest showed that they denied key allegations and accused one another of masterminding the operation.
Usman, whom investigators identified as the coordinator of the operation, denied leading the gang and claimed the other suspects were falsely implicating him, Premium Times noted.
He said:
“No one in my family has been involved in this kind of crime. I was under a spell. I don’t know what came over me.”
The suspect added:
“When the spell came over me, one of these suspects called me on the phone. I went to meet him. I did not know what I was doing, and I followed them.”
Usman also claimed he was unaware that the group was carrying a rifle during the operation.
The photo of the four suspects arrested by the police can be viewed below:
Source: Twitter
The viral video of the suspect, Usman, can be viewed below via the X post:
Read more Oyo state news:
- NDLEA arrests Mexican, 4 others, dismantles industrial-scale Meth laboratory in Oyo forest
- Sunday Igboho spits fire, threatens deadly action against kidnappers in fresh video
- Tension in Oyo state as University of Ibadan student is abducted
Police deny Kaduna airlift claim
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Oyo police refuted a viral social media video claiming that students and teachers abducted from Oriire LGA were flown to Kaduna state in a helicopter.
The video alleged that the victims, who were kidnapped from the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities, had been transported out of Oyo state by air.
Reacting to the claim, Ayanlade described the video as false, misleading, and lacking any factual basis.
Source: Legit.ng
