According to the police report, Smith was abducted in Anifowose Estate in Igbeba, Ijebu Ode by some gunmen on September 28, 2020, at about 7:30 am.
The police in Ogun, Southwest Nigeria have arrested a couple and one other suspect for abducting and killing a popular Ogun hotelier, Director of Rolak Hotel, Otunba Abayomi Ajayi Smith.
The couple were identified as Larry Adebayo Adewumi and Okereke Olufunmilayo while the third suspect is Adebowale Sanni.
According to the police report, Smith was abducted in Anifowose Estate in Igbeba, Ijebu Ode by some gunmen on September 28, 2020, at about 7:30 am.
When the police received information about his abduction, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the state police command mobilised and commenced an investigation into the hotelier’s disappearance but all efforts to get the victim out of captivity failed, despite the fact that the victim's family paid a ransom of N15 million to the abductors.
The police said it subsequently launched a manhunt for those behind the criminal act.
It said, “In September, the SP Taiwo Opadiran-led team got wind of a plan by the hoodlums to strike again, and this time, the wife and son of Ajayi Smith, the hotelier, were their target.
“Acting on the intelligence report, the team embarked on technical surveillance for the suspects, consequent upon which one of them was traced to Ikeji Arakeji in Osun State, where the 55-year-old Adebowale Sanni was arrested.
“On interrogation, Sanni confessed to having been on the trail of Yeye Olusola Roseline Ajayi Smith in order to kidnap her on the order of Adewunmi, the ring leader, whose wife Olufunmilayo happened to be an employee of Ajayi Smith.
“He confessed further that it was Larry who described the location of the victim's hotel and his other business outfit to him with instruction that if they succeeded in kidnapping the woman and her son, the two of them must be killed after collecting ransom in order not to leave any trail just as they did to her husband two years ago.
“His confession led to the arrest of Larry's wife, Olufunmilayo who was a manager at the victim's building material shops. Larry himself was arrested 3 days after. He initially denied having anything to do with the kidnap of Otunba Abayomi Ajayi Smith, but when he came into confrontation with Adebowale Sanni, his accomplice, he knew immediately that the game was up.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that Larry who is an indigene of Ilesha, Osun State used to be a fraudster before he graduated to fulltime kidnapping business. His modus operandi was to scout for a rich victim, after which he will mobilize his gang working for him to go after such a person.”
“He got full information about Otunba Ajayi Smith through his wife Olufunmilayo who was an employee of the man. Further investigation revealed that Larry has two bank accounts where he used to keep money realised from his criminal activities,” the police report stated.
The police further stated, “In one of the accounts with number 0010913206 domicile in Jaiz bank the sum of Thirty-four million, nine hundred and fifty-three thousand four hundred and fifty-five (N34,953,455) was discovered therein, while he has the sum of Four million, Five hundred and seventy-six thousand eight hundred and forty-six naira (N4,576,846) in another account with Access bank. A 2014 model Toyota highlander was also recovered from him.
The state police commissioner, CP Lanre. S. Bankole, commended his men for the arrests and directed them to get other members of the gang.