I Treated Him, Encouraged Him To Change — Fulani Leader Speaks As Police Hunt Wanted Sons In Ogun
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LAGOS – A 67-year-old Fulani community leader in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Abdullahi Muhammadu, has claimed he believed his son, Bala Muhammadu, had abandoned criminal activities after serving a prison sentence for kidnapping.
Muhammadu, who was arrested during a police operation targeting suspected kidnappers, maintained that although he was aware of his son’s past conviction, he was unaware of any alleged return to kidnapping.
The elderly cattle rearer came under police scrutiny after investigators reportedly recovered a bag believed to have been used in delivering ransom money inside the kitchen of his residence.
Despite living in the same compound with his children and wives, the community leader denied involvement in any criminal enterprise.
According to security sources, operatives of the Ogun State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, led by SP Bamidele Shittu, linked a string of abduction cases across Ijebu Ode, Imodi, Irewon, Iwode, Okun Owa and surrounding communities to Bala, who had recently regained freedom after completing a five-year jail term for kidnapping.
Investigators alleged that the prime suspect and two of his brothers fled through nearby bushes after receiving information about the presence of security operatives around their family residence.
A police source familiar with the investigation disclosed that intelligence gathering led operatives to the family compound, where one of the bags allegedly connected to a ransom payment was recovered.
The source further alleged that Bala was not acting alone and that other suspects, including one identified as Ndaji, remain under investigation.
