The Ondo State Police Command on Sunday confirmed the arrest of a suspect in connection with the killing of a youth leader in Isua Akoko, headquarters of Akoko South East Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The victim, Ojo Abbey, popularly known as Obesere, was allegedly abducted by gunmen while returning to the community from Edo State.
Sources in the community said the assailants kidnapped him on February 22, 2026, and took him to an unknown destination in the forest before he was later found dead.
A resident, identified simply as Tunji, disclosed that after the incident was reported to the police, community youths, in collaboration with local hunters, organised search parties and combed the surrounding bushes in a bid to rescue him.
The decomposing body of the deceased was eventually discovered in a forest in Igara, Edo State, on Saturday.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed the incident in a statement.
He said a suspect had “been arrested and was currently in custody, assisting with ongoing investigations.”
Jimoh added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Lawal, had ordered intensified surveillance and strategic deployments across the affected area and along the Ondo–Edo boundary to prevent further attacks and ensure the arrest of other fleeing suspects. Related News
“The incident was reported at Isua Division at about 1945hrs on 22nd February, 2026, by a resident who stated that one Ojo Abbey, male, was allegedly abducted by armed men suspected to be herdsmen while returning from Ibilo, Edo State.
“Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer immediately mobilised patrol teams to the scene. The victim’s vehicle, a Nissan Almera with registration number KJA 440 DB, was recovered and secured at the station.
“The command commiserates with the family of the deceased and assures the public that the perpetrators of this heinous crime will be brought to justice,” the statement partly read.
Meanwhile, a community group, the Isua Youth Forum, in a statement issued by its National President, Abimbola Oluwafemi, on Sunday, described the killing as a reflection of the rising insecurity in the area.
The group called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to urgently intervene.
“We use this medium to call on our dear Governor of Ondo State, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, for immediate intervention on this matter and on the general rising insecurity in the Isua environment and Akoko South-East at large.
“We also call on the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State and all relevant security agencies to ensure a thorough, transparent, and uncompromising investigation into this case.
“Every individual involved in this heinous crime must be identified, apprehended, and brought to book. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. The people of Isua and our local government area are watching, and we demand decisive action,” the statement added.
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