The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper and rescued a cattle rearer who was abducted in the Isua Akoko area of the state.

Police authorities said the victim, whose name was not disclosed, had gone with a colleague to Ipesi Akoko for cattle rearing when he was seized by a three-man gang. Only his colleague returned home, prompting a report to the Isua Police Division.

According to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the report triggered an intelligence-led operation coordinated by the Divisional Police Officer and supported by tactical units of the command. Officers were deployed to comb suspected hideouts and monitor movement in and around Isua and neighbouring communities.

The victim was eventually rescued alive after police traced the kidnappers’ trail. He told investigators that he was abducted at night by three armed men who attempted to force him into the bush. In the struggle, he managed to hit one of his captors on the head, leaving the suspect with a visible injury before he was overpowered and taken away.

Police operatives later acted on this crucial detail. At dawn, officers from the Isua Division moved to Obasanjo Motor Park in Isua, where they noticed a man with a fresh head wound behaving suspiciously. He was immediately apprehended for questioning.

During interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed to being a member of the kidnapping gang. The rescued victim, brought in under police protection, reportedly identified him on the spot as one of his abductors, specifically recognising the head injury he had inflicted during the attack.

The victim has been taken to hospital for medical treatment and psychological support. The suspect has been transferred to the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Akure for further investigation, with police saying he will be charged to court at the end of the probe. Efforts are ongoing to track down the two fleeing members of the gang.

Commissioner of Police Adebowale Lawal commended residents for providing timely and credible information that aided the operation, stressing that community cooperation remains central to the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes in Ondo State.

The command urged members of the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious movements or persons to the nearest police formation, assuring that all information will be treated with utmost confidentiality.