Insider Betrayal: Farm Worker Arrested After Confessing He Initiated Boss’s Kidnap

Insider Betrayal: Farm Worker Arrested After Confessing He Initiated Boss’s Kidnap

A 32-year-old farm secretary, Latifat, has told an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan how a trusted Fulani security guard allegedly organised her kidnapping, collected a N25 million ransom, and orchestrated the murder of her elderly colleague, who was shot in the neck.

Latifat, who works as a Farm Secretary on a private farm at Oduru Village, via Elekuru, Moniya, Ibadan, was testifying as a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of two defendants – Isah Mohammed and Mohammed Ishaka – before Justice Omolara S. Adeyemi at Court 10, Oyo State High Court.

The defendants are facing multiple charges, including conspiracy, murder, and kidnapping, under the Oyo State Kidnapping (Prohibition) Law in a suit numbered I/18c/2020. The case stems from a harrowing incident that occurred on March 14, 2019, when Latifat and her expatriate boss, Mr Elliott, an American citizen, were abducted from their workplace.

According to Latifat’s testimony during examination-in-chief by prosecution counsel Deborah Oluyemisi Collins Esq., the first defendant, Isah Mohammed, was employed as a security man and general worker on the farm. What happened next would unravel a chilling story of insider betrayal.

Latifat told the court that on the day of the attack, Mohammed behaved suspiciously. He took the company’s motorcycle without proper authorisation, claiming he wanted to repair a tyre – even though the bike was not faulty. Before leaving, he also took bottled water belonging to her bosses without permission, an action she later reported to her boss, Mr Oke.

Shortly after Mohammed departed, gunshots rang out. Latifat, Mr Oke, and their elderly colleague, 55-year-old Rafiu Adebayo (fondly called Baba Rafiu), went to investigate. They saw five armed men who were clearly not hunters. The gunmen shouted at them to lie down. In the chaos, Mr Oke managed to escape, but Latifat, Mr Elliott, and Baba Rafiu were trapped.

READ ALSO:

• Wife Seeks Divorce, Says Husband Left Wedding Night for Political Meeting
• Oyo Kidnapping: Bandits Insist on Negotiating Only with Makinde
• Eid-el-Kabir: Ram Sellers Lament Poor Patronage as Prices Hit N700,000

Then came the fatal shot. “They shot Baba Rafiu,” Latifat told the court. The elderly farm worker was shot in the neck and later died from his injury. Police detectives who visited the scene reportedly recovered expended shells of 7.1mm ammunition on the farm.

The kidnappers then stormed the farmhouse, pulled Mr Elliott up, and ransacked the premises. They carried all the bags and attempted to take drinks that were under a table where Latifat had hidden. That was how they discovered and captured her.

What followed was a two-day ordeal in the bush. Latifat and Mr Elliott were marched through dense forests for hours. At about 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on the first day, it started raining heavily. The kidnappers eventually found shelter, made a fire because the victims were soaked to the skin, and cut plantain leaves for them to sleep on.

The kidnappers initially demanded N50 million in ransom. Mr Elliott asked if they would accept Bitcoin since he did not have cash, but they rejected the idea and insisted on physical currency. After negotiations with Oluwadare, the Chief Security Officer of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the ransom was reduced to N25 million.

Throughout the ordeal, the victims endured hunger, exhaustion, and constant fear. At one point, Latifat managed to use her phone – which the kidnappers had allowed her to use under supervision – to randomly call a number. That call connected to Oluwadare, establishing a critical lifeline.

The ransom payment was executed meticulously. The captors received N10 million in N1,000 notes, N5 million in N500 notes, and N10 million in dollars – equivalent to the remaining amount. When Oluwadare and Latifat’s father arrived with the money, the kidnappers poured it on the ground, counted it carefully, and confirmed it was complete. Only then did they release Latifat, Mr Elliott, and the others.

Before releasing them, the kidnappers took the jewellery the victims were wearing and begged for forgiveness.

The first defendant, Isah Mohammed, a Fulani from Birnin Kebbi, was arrested at Moniya a day after the incident. He had told the police that he wanted to escape to the north to avoid arrest. In his confessional statement, Mohammed admitted that he initiated the kidnap operation. He confessed that he approached the second defendant, Mohammed Ishaka, who then linked him to a kidnap kingpin known simply as “Alhaji.” Alhaji, in turn, invited three other Fulani men to carry out the attack.

READ ALSO:

• Drug Test Ordered as Anambra Police Discipline ASP Who Threatened to Kill Bystanders Filming Him
• Maduka University Denies Withholding Student Transcript, Fee Hike Claims in Viral Video
• FRSC Officials Disarm Alleged DSS Officer After Shooting Incident In Abuja

Mohammed also confessed to selling the company’s motorcycle for N60,000, after which he lodged in a hotel before his arrest at Akinyele Motor Park, where he was attempting to board a vehicle to the north.

The second defendant, Mohammed Ishaka, was arrested on March 29, 2019, at Ido area. He confirmed that Mohammed approached him for a gang that would help kidnap Mr Elliott and Mr Oke. Ishaka admitted that he was the one who linked Alhaji with Mohammed. However, Ishaka claimed he was given only N100,000 as his share, as Alhaji told him the gang received only N2 million from the total ransom.

Following Latifat’s detailed testimony and cross-examination by defence counsel Barrister Olufolahan Awoyemi, Justice Omolara S. Adeyemi adjourned the case until June 26, 2026, for further hearing.

Earlier in the legal proceedings, three men – Mohammed Isah, 27; Ishaka Mohammad, 27; and Adamu Ibrahim, 20 – were initially arraigned before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan on April 28, 2019. The Chief Magistrate, Mr Emmanuel Idowu, did not take their pleas because the court lacked jurisdiction, ordering that the case file be sent to the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The prosecutor, ASP Adewale Amos, had told the court that the defendants allegedly conspired with others still at large to commit the offence, including the kidnapping of Elliot Kulakow and Latifat Togunde and the unlawful collection of N25 million ransom.

As the case continues before the Oyo State High Court, Latifat’s testimony stands as a powerful reminder of how trusted employees can become deadly threats. The two defendants now await their next court appearance on June 26, 2026, where further evidence will be presented.

Insider Betrayal: Farm Worker Arrested After Confessing He Initiated Boss’s Kidnap