Members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) have arrested three suspected kidnappers accused of terrorising communities around Old Oyo National Park, with the suspects reportedly found in possession of sophisticated rifles.

The arrests were carried out at different times during patrol operations in Eseke village, Oriire Local Government Area, and Igbeti, Olorunsogo Local Government Area, both in Oyo State.

Kehinde Zaccheus, the OPC coordinator in Eseke, disclosed the development to journalists on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

According to Zaccheus, one suspect was arrested in Eseke, while two others were apprehended in Igbeti. He said the suspects were allegedly found with sophisticated firearms when they were arrested.

The suspects were subsequently handed over to the police at Ikoyi-Ile and Igbeti for further investigation.

The arrests come amid persistent security concerns around the national park and neighbouring communities, where residents have faced threats from suspected kidnappers and armed groups.

READ ALSO:

• 19 Suspected Fraudsters Arrested, Five Exotic Cars Recovered in EFCC Lekki Raid
• ₦110.4bn Fraud Trial: EFCC Witness Traces Company Inflows To Kogi LG Accounts
• US Extradites Nigerian Over Alleged $100m Tax Refund Fraud

Old Oyo National Park spans 10 local government areas in Oyo State and one in neighbouring Kwara State, making security across its extensive forest terrain a major challenge for law enforcement agencies.

In January 2026, gunmen attacked the park’s administrative facility in the Oloka area of Oriire Local Government Area, killing five forest guards and other personnel. The attackers reportedly sought to free suspected criminals previously detained by forest guards.

Following investigations into the attack, the Oyo State Police Command announced the arrest of seven suspects, including an alleged mastermind of the incident. Police said intelligence-led operations were continuing to track other suspected members of the gang.

Separately, reports in May 2026 indicated that 39 students and seven teachers had been abducted from communities in Oriire Local Government Area, with the victims allegedly held by kidnappers operating around the park. The incident further heightened concerns about the safety of residents and travellers in the area.

The latest OPC arrests represent another development in efforts to address insecurity around the park. However, it remains unclear whether the three suspects are connected to the January attack, the reported school abductions or other criminal incidents in the area.

The police are expected to investigate the allegations against the suspects and establish whether the recovered weapons are linked to any reported crimes.

The suspects have not been convicted of any offence and remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

A Lagos court has sentenced former banker Christopher Jackson Edeh to a total of 39 years’ imprisonment over a ₦2.7 billion fraud involving the alleged alteration of bank account details belonging to customers and government-related entities.

Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja delivered the judgment on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, after finding Edeh guilty on nine counts bordering on fraudulent false accounting and unauthorised access to a computer system.

The case was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Edeh was arraigned on February 28, 2024.

According to the charges, he altered account details belonging to several customers and organisations with the intention of defrauding them. The affected accounts included those of the Kano State Government Power Intervention Fund, NNPC Trading Limited, Stallion Vision Limited, the Lagos State Government Blue Line project, the State Contributory Pension Account and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.

READ ALSO:

• 19 Suspected Fraudsters Arrested, Five Exotic Cars Recovered in EFCC Lekki Raid
• ₦110.4bn Fraud Trial: EFCC Witness Traces Company Inflows To Kogi LG Accounts
• US Extradites Nigerian Over Alleged $100m Tax Refund Fraud

During the trial, prosecution counsel Z.B. Atiku called three witnesses and tendered documentary evidence to establish the case. The defence called one witness.

In her judgment, Justice Abike-Fadipe held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted Edeh on all nine counts.

The court sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine on each of the first seven counts relating to fraudulent false accounting. He also received two years’ imprisonment without an option of fine on each of the remaining two counts involving unauthorised access to a computer system to facilitate criminal activity.

Although the individual sentences add up to 39 years, the judge ordered that they run concurrently, meaning Edeh will serve the terms at the same time rather than one after another. Consequently, the effective prison term is five years.

The conviction followed an EFCC investigation into the alleged manipulation of account details and transactions involving the affected customers and institutions.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has identified 19 suspected cybercrime operators for prosecution following a raid at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos State, during which five exotic cars were recovered.

The operation, conducted at about 5 a.m. on Monday, October 26, 2026, initially led to the arrest of 21 suspects. The commission said preliminary investigations implicated 19 of them, while the other two were released.

According to the EFCC, the suspects allegedly obtained money from unsuspecting victims through gift cards, cryptocurrency transactions and international money transfers, using impersonation to deceive their targets.

READ ALSO:

• ₦110.4bn Fraud Trial: EFCC Witness Traces Company Inflows To Kogi LG Accounts
• US Extradites Nigerian Over Alleged $100m Tax Refund Fraud
• Panic as Gunmen Storm Kaduna Estate at Midnight, Abduct Residents

The commission said the suspects would be arraigned in court after investigations into their alleged involvement in cybercrime and related financial offences.

The EFCC also addressed reports concerning a young woman detained during the raid. It alleged that she attempted to alert some of the suspects by making telephone calls while operatives were carrying out the operation. Her phone was temporarily confiscated but later returned after the operation ended.

Responding to allegations of harassment, intimidation and unlawful arrests, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale maintained that the operation was conducted professionally and that there was no record of such misconduct.

The commission urged Nigerians to support efforts to combat financial crimes, while maintaining that its actions were based on intelligence gathering and surveillance.

The 19 suspects are expected to face court proceedings over the allegations. They are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.