Ondo: Gallery Security Services Limited (GSSL), a private security outfit operating in Ondo State, has successfully rescued a 37-year-old woman, Mrs. Morenike Falona, from her kidnappers and apprehended two suspects involved in the abduction. The Security Manager of GSSL, retired Navy Lt. Abdullahi Zakari, handed over the suspects to the Ajagba Divisional Police Station in Irele Local Government Area for further investigation and prosecution.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the rescue operation was carried out by a 20-member team from GSSL in response to credible intelligence. Mrs. Falona, a trader residing in Ode-Irele, was abducted on June 16, 2026, around 10:00 p.m. at Orelopo Street, off Ebute Road, Irele. The rescue mission, executed on June 19, 2026, at approximately 6:30 p.m., led to her safe recovery at an oil palm plantation in the Iju-Osun community within Irele Local Government Area.
During the operation, the team apprehended two suspects, Obibodefiyie Ajuesie, 36, from Ajapa Community and Monday Lucky, known as Gazilo, 37, from Akpata Community in Ese-Odo Local Government Area. Zakari emphasized the commitment of GSSL to collaborate with conventional security agencies to ensure the protection of lives and property in the state.
Chief Executive Officer of GSSL, Chief Bibopere Ajube, praised the public for their timely and actionable information that facilitated the rescue. He called on residents of the Ondo South Senatorial District to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies promptly. Ajube warned criminals in the district to desist from their illegal activities, assuring that there would be no sanctuary for them.
Ajube highlighted that the successful operation underscores GSSL’s extensive local knowledge, strong community ties, and expertise in intelligence-led security operations in the wider Niger Delta region. He pledged GSSL’s ongoing collaboration with government entities, host communities, and security agencies to enhance public safety and promote peace and stability in the state.
Mrs. Falona recounted her ordeal, stating that the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N100 million, later reducing it to N40 million. Faced with threats to her life when the ransom was not paid promptly, she expressed gratitude to GSSL operatives for her unharmed rescue.
Her husband, Mr. Tunde Falona, revealed that he managed to gather N20 million for the ransom, but the kidnappers insisted on N40 million. He noted that the kidnappers had also taken his car, which they later abandoned. Mr. Falona commended GSSL and the community for their efforts in ensuring his wife’s safe return.