Umaru Usman, one of the suspects apprehended by operatives of the Oyo State Police Command over the abduction of two children, has attributed his alleged role in the incident to the influence of black magic.
Earlier reports stated that officers of the Oyo State Police Command successfully rescued the kidnapped children and arrested four suspects in connection with the case.
The arrests come at a time when concerns over insecurity in Oyo state, especially across rural communities, continue to grow.
The police confirmed the development in a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Olayinka Ayanlade, titled, ‘Oyo Police Rescue Abducted Children, Arrest Four Kidnap Suspects’.
According to available information, the two victims were abducted on Friday, June 27, 2026, at Ebinpejo village, via Lanlate in Ibarapa East Local Government Area (LGA).
Oyo police arrest kidnap suspects
The command explained that a joint effort involving security agencies, supported by “credible intelligence,” enabled operatives to locate the kidnappers’ hideout deep inside the forest.
Police said the suspects fled after an exchange of gunfire with security personnel, while at least one of the alleged kidnappers sustained gunshot injuries during the operation. Authorities subsequently arrested the injured suspect, Usman, who is 25 years old
Further operations carried out by security operatives resulted in the arrest of at least three additional suspects.
Oyo kidnap suspects trade blame
Meanwhile, a review conducted on Tuesday, June 30, of interviews granted to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Channels Television, and Arise News after the suspects were arrested showed that they rejected major allegations against them and instead blamed one another for orchestrating the abduction.
Usman, who investigators described as the coordinator of the operation, dismissed claims that he led the gang, insisting that the other suspects were wrongfully accusing him.
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 further claimed that he did not know the group was carrying a rifle during the operation.
Watch the video below
“I Was Under a Spell, I Have Never Been Involved in Kidnapping Before” — Kidnap Suspect Arrested in Ibarapa, Oyo State, Pleads pic.twitter.com/iwPZjQk4Wk
— Oyo Affairs (@Oyoaffairs) June 29, 2026
