Police arrest six suspects over kidnap, murder of ex-Ekiti State University Professor

On Thursday, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeniran Akinwale, announced the arrest of six prime suspects in connection with the kidnap and murder of Prof. Olorunfemi Olaofe, former Deputy Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti.

Prof. Olaofe was abducted from his residence at the Federal Housing Estate, Ado Ekiti, along with his security guard, on July 9, 2027. His body was found buried in a shallow grave in the bush along Airport Road at Afao Ekiti on Wednesday, July 31.

In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, the CP detailed that the body of the retired professor had been exhumed and deposited in the morgue.

“An unknown gang of armed men allegedly stormed the residence of Prof. Femi Olaofe, kidnapped him along with his security guard, Abdul Opotu, and took them to an unknown destination in the professor’s Toyota Camry car,” Akinwale said.

Upon receiving the information, the police deployed Rapid Response Squad operatives to the scene for the victims’ rescue and the perpetrators’ arrest. However, the assailants had already fled with the victims before the operatives arrived. The police later recovered Olaofe’s Camry car from the forest between Ado Ekiti and Afao Ekiti.

The CP stated that a thorough investigation and operation led to the arrest of Omowaye Ayodele at Bencom Guest House, Akure, Ondo State. During interrogation, Ayodele confessed to the crime and implicated accomplices Kenneth, Amodu Gbenga, Nnamani Chukwuka, and Ojо a.k.a Ojo Ijan. He revealed that Abdul Opotu, the professor’s security guard, had orchestrated the kidnapping.

Ayodele further disclosed that Opotu was not kidnapped but instead facilitated the operation. He also revealed that two AK-47 rifles used in the kidnapping were with Kenneth, who remains at large.

Further investigation led to the arrest of Amodu Gbenga, who confessed to the crime and detailed how he supplied food and water to the gang members hiding in a bush behind Government College, off Ijan Road, Ado Ekiti.

The suspects led police operatives to their hideouts, but the gang had already relocated the victim to an unknown location. On Tuesday, July 30, the investigation uncovered a shallow grave in a bush off Afao Road, behind the new airport site, Ado Ekiti. The body, later identified as Prof. Olaofe’s, was exhumed on Wednesday, July 31.

The corpse has been deposited at the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital morgue, Ado-Ekiti, for autopsy. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining gang members, including the security guard who masterminded the crime. So far, six suspects are in custody undergoing investigation.