A member of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Osun State, John Olowosaye, has been arrested by the state Police Command for allegedly conspiring with one Olalekan Oyeyemi (a.k.a Emir), and abducted some people in Ede town of the state.
The 22-year-old NYSC member and Oyeyemi, an appointee of the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, were said to have committed the offence sometime in August 2023.
Parading the corps member at the Police Headquarters in Osogbo, capital of the state recently, the Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, disclosed that Olowosaye connived with Oyeyemi, who was appointed as a member of the Osun Park Management System, and abducted two persons.
According to Opalola, after the victims had been abducted, the perpetrators brought them to Balogun Area in Osogbo, where a ransom of N2.6 million was paid to the account of Oyeyemi, adding that Olowosaye was arrested after a police investigation uncovered him as one of the perpetrators.
In an interview with The Point, the corps member who is serving at a private school in Osogbo explained that the victims had refused to give him the sum of N4.8million, which is the value of the dollars he had asked them to convert to naira for him, before he asked Oyeyemi to assist him in getting the money.
He added that Adeleke’s appointee mobilised some of his gang members, kidnapped the two men and took them to Osogbo where they collected the sum of N2.6 million before releasing them.
“I and some guys had a transaction; they were supposed to help me convert the dollars I sent to them to Naira, which will be the sum of N4.8million. After converting it, they refused to pay the money and someone told me that they know of a person (Emir) that could help me collect it. So I contacted Emir.
“After a month of not receiving any feedback from those guys, I came to Osun State to come meet them. That was why I contacted Emir to help me collect the money” the corps member confessed.
“After Emir collected N2.6 million, he only gave me the sum of N1 million. I had to continue to ask the guys to balance my money. I petitioned the Police and one of the guys asked me to come and collect my balance, that was how the police arrested me,” he added.
Meanwhile, Opalola said Olowosaye would be arraigned in court after completion of investigation.
The Point had reported that the serving member of the Osun Park Management System is currently facing a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy, malicious damage, unlawful killing and acts of terrorism before a Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo.
Oyeyemi and others said to be at large are alleged to have terrorised some supporters of the All Progressive Congress and other residents, killing one Muraina Olayiwola at Orita CMS in Osogbo on February 27, 2022.
Oyeyemi is currently on bail on the matter.
