Group urges IGP Disu, PSC to consider commendation, special promotion and incentives for SP Rasaq Adenyi and his operatives
A team of professional journalists under the aegis of EYE-ON-SECURITY has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatuji Disu, the Police Service Commission (PSC) and other relevant authorities to formally recognise the efforts of SP Rasaq Adeniyi, Commander of the Ondo State Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Akure, and his operatives in the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state.
The group made the appeal during a special recognition visit to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Akure, led by its National Coordinator, Comr. Monday Iyke Ojomah.
Ojomah said the visit was designed not only to appreciate the officers for their service but also to draw public attention to the demanding work being undertaken by specialist police formations combating organised criminal networks.
He maintained that appropriate recognition—including commendation letters, special consideration for promotion and other legitimate incentives—could boost the morale of officers and encourage other security personnel to intensify their commitment to protecting lives and property.
“Recognition of officers who put their lives on the line in the service of the nation is important. It tells them that their sacrifices are seen and appreciated,” Ojomah said.
He added that effective policing required cooperation between security agencies, the media and communities, particularly in intelligence gathering and the prompt reporting of suspicious activities.
The Evidence Behind the Appeal
Although EYE-ON-SECURITY’s recognition is directed specifically at SP Rasaq Adeniyi and his team, publicly reported police operations in 2026 show that the Ondo State Anti-Kidnapping Squad has been involved in a series of significant investigations and arrests.
One of the clearest examples occurred in May, following the abduction of two brothers, aged five and 10, in the Jerry Sawmill area of Ore. According to the police, detectives commenced an intelligence-driven investigation after the children’s father reported the incident. The operation subsequently led to the arrest of five suspects allegedly connected with the kidnapping syndicate and the recovery of ₦251,000 reportedly linked to ransom proceeds.
The significance of the operation went beyond the number of arrests. It demonstrated the importance of technical intelligence, tracking and coordinated investigation in pursuing kidnapping cases after victims have been released.
For families affected by kidnapping, the arrest of suspects after an incident can provide an important sense that a case has not simply disappeared from the police system.
Interstate Investigation: Taking the Fight Beyond Ondo
Another major development came in June when the Anti-Kidnapping Squad took over an investigation into a kidnapping and murder case originating from Ago Baale, Idoani, in Ose Local Government Area.
The police said the investigation involved intelligence gathering, forensic tracking and technical analysis, eventually leading investigators beyond Ondo State into Oyo and Ogun states.
Four suspects were arrested in the operation—three in Oyo State and one in Ogun State. The police said the suspects were linked to the kidnapping of Kehinde Yisa and the killing of another victim, identified as Bako. The four were subsequently charged to court, according to the police account.
The operation is significant because kidnapping networks do not necessarily operate within the boundaries of one state. Suspects can live in one state, carry out an operation in another and hide or move through a third.
Consequently, the ability of investigators to follow intelligence across state boundaries and work with another police command is increasingly important in tackling organised kidnapping.
August Breakthrough in Owo
The squad was again in the spotlight in August following the abduction of Abubakar Abdullahim at Molege, near Owo.
According to the Ondo Police Command, sustained intelligence gathering led operatives to Oyo State, where they worked with the Oyo State Police Command to arrest one suspect, Adamu Rabiu, in Ibadan. A second suspect, Haruna Likita, was subsequently arrested around Ipele via Owo.
Police said investigations were continuing to determine the wider structure of the alleged syndicate and identify other persons who might have been involved.
This aspect of the operation is particularly noteworthy because successful anti-kidnapping policing is not necessarily measured only by the immediate rescue of victims. Mapping the wider criminal network, identifying financiers, informants, transporters, safe-house operators and other facilitators can be critical to dismantling a syndicate.
September Operation: Ransom Collection Foiled
The squad’s recent activities have also included operations aimed at preventing ransom collection.
In a report published in September, TheCable reported that security operatives foiled an alleged ransom collection attempt in Ondo State, rescued two victims unharmed and recovered ₦1.5 million suspected to have been brought for ransom payment.
The subsequent follow-up operation reportedly resulted in the arrest of three suspects along the Idoani Road. Two of those arrested were said to have sustained gunshot injuries, while the rescued victims later identified the suspects as persons allegedly involved in their abduction. The case was transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Akure for further investigation.
The development illustrates another important dimension of anti-kidnapping work: intervening before ransom changes hands and using information from one operation to identify members of a wider criminal network.
Beyond Arrests: What the Operations Reveal
Taken together, the publicly reported cases point to several operational features of Ondo’s anti-kidnapping strategy.
1. Intelligence-led policing
Several of the reported breakthroughs followed what the police described as credible intelligence, technical tracking and sustained surveillance.
This suggests a movement away from relying solely on conventional patrols towards investigations built around information, communication analysis, tracking and targeted operations.
2. Interstate cooperation
The arrests in Oyo and Ogun states demonstrate that investigators increasingly have to operate through inter-command cooperation.
Kidnapping is often organised as a network rather than an isolated local crime. Effective policing therefore requires information-sharing between neighbouring commands.
3. Follow-up after victim rescue
Another important feature is the emphasis on continuing investigations after victims are recovered.
A rescue may end the immediate danger to a victim, but it does not necessarily end the criminal threat. Identifying and arresting those responsible can help prevent repeat attacks.
4. Community intelligence
The May operation began after a father reported the abduction of his children. In other incidents, police have similarly urged residents to provide credible information about suspicious movements and persons.
The police themselves have repeatedly appealed to residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities.
This makes the relationship between communities and specialist security units particularly important.
What Residents’ Experiences Tell Us
The public picture of security in Ondo remains complex.
Residents have continued to experience serious security incidents. In February, for instance, worshippers were abducted along the Uso/Owo axis, prompting residents to protest and barricade the Akure/Owo Expressway. Police, working with the military and local vigilante groups, subsequently launched rescue operations.
In June, a community leader was abducted at Ode Oriya in Owo, while police launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation.
These incidents provide an important counterpoint to the reported successes: Ondo’s security challenge has not disappeared, and continued attacks mean that arrests alone cannot be presented as proof that the problem has been solved.
At the same time, the response to individual incidents demonstrates why residents depend heavily on specialised police units capable of investigation, tracking and coordinated operations.
A particularly instructive case is that of Andrew Yohana, whose two sons were abducted in Ore. His report to the police triggered the investigation that eventually resulted in the arrest of five suspects.
Rather than inventing quotations from residents who have not been independently interviewed, Fresh Facts Magazine should attribute such accounts to documented cases or conduct fresh interviews with residents in Ore, Owo, Idoani, Akure and other affected communities before publication.
Recognition as a Morale Booster
For EYE-ON-SECURITY, the issue is therefore not simply about celebrating arrests.
The group’s argument is that professional recognition can become part of the architecture of effective policing.
Officers engaged in anti-kidnapping operations routinely confront armed suspects, difficult terrain, intelligence risks and the possibility of retaliation. Where successful investigations result in arrests and prosecution, formal commendation can serve as an institutional acknowledgement of that work.
Ojomah argued that recognition should extend beyond one officer where warranted.
He said operatives who demonstrate exceptional courage, professionalism and investigative capacity should be considered for appropriate commendations, career recognition and welfare support in accordance with police regulations.
A Call for Institutional Support
The appeal to IGP Disu and the Police Service Commission comes at a time when the security environment in parts of Ondo continues to require sustained attention.
Recent cases show both sides of the challenge: criminal networks remain active, but police investigators have also demonstrated an ability to trace suspects, collaborate across state boundaries, rescue victims and pursue cases beyond the location where an offence occurred.
The EYE-ON-SECURITY initiative therefore raises a broader question for policing authorities: how can demonstrated operational performance be translated into sustainable institutional support?
That support could include appropriate commendations, professional training, investigative resources, communications equipment, mobility, welfare and other lawful incentives that enable specialist units to perform effectively.
Fresh Facts Analysis: Recognition Must Go With Accountability
There is also a need for balance.
Recognition should be based on documented operational records, measurable results and due process, rather than publicity alone. Arrests are important, but they must ultimately lead to credible investigations and lawful prosecution.
Similarly, claims about reduced crime should be supported by reliable crime statistics rather than anecdotal impressions.
The publicly reported operations nevertheless provide substantial evidence of active anti-kidnapping work in Ondo in 2026. The challenge for the authorities is to sustain that momentum while strengthening intelligence systems, community partnerships and the investigative chain from arrest to prosecution.
For EYE-ON-SECURITY, the message is straightforward: officers who demonstrate courage and professionalism should not have to wait until retirement before their work is acknowledged.
Conclusion
The story emerging from Ondo is therefore bigger than one police squad or one commander.
It is a story about the evolving nature of kidnapping, the increasing importance of intelligence-led policing and the need for communities and security agencies to work together.
The publicly reported arrests and investigations involving the Anti-Kidnapping Squad—from the Ore school children case, through the interstate investigation involving Oyo and Ogun, to the Owo and September operations—show a pattern of sustained investigative activity.
Whether that operational momentum translates into a sustained reduction in kidnapping will depend on continued intelligence gathering, effective prosecution, inter-agency cooperation, community trust and adequate institutional support.
For EYE-ON-SECURITY, however, the immediate message to the police authorities is clear: where officers put themselves in harm’s way to protect citizens and produce demonstrable results, their efforts deserve to be documented, evaluated and appropriately recognised.
