The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two suspected kidnappers in connection with the abduction and killing of a 17-year-old candidate of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Thompson Adams, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
The arrests were confirmed by the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, during a briefing with journalists at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Wednesday.
According to him, the suspects—Elijah Emmanuel, 23, and Tony Ogenata, 21—were arrested on Monday evening at about 8 p.m. following actionable intelligence.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim had just returned from writing his examination on April 22 when he was lured by the suspects, who were reportedly his former schoolmates.
The police said the suspects took Adams to their residence, where he was killed.
Providing details of the operation and findings, Tijani said:
“On April 27, 2026, at about 20.00 hours, operatives of the command, acting on credible intelligence, traced and arrested suspected kidnappers at Lucky Fibre, Ikorodu, Lagos.
“The suspects are Elijah Emmanuel, 23, and Tony Ekwen Ogenata, 21. Criminal investigation revealed that the suspects are linked to the kidnapping and gruesome murder of one Thompson Adams, aged 17, which occurred on April 22, 2026. The two boys went out with their friend, Adams, who was their secondary schoolmate. Along the line, they murdered him.”
Further investigation showed that the suspects disposed of the victim’s body after the crime, concealing it in a bag before abandoning it within the community.
The police commissioner also revealed that deeper interrogation uncovered the suspects’ involvement in a previous kidnapping and murder case involving a female victim in November 2025.
He stated that the suspects had abducted the woman, who was reportedly in a relationship with one of them, and demanded ransom from her family.
“Investigation revealed that they had earlier kidnapped and murdered a female victim on November 30, 2025. The victim was a girlfriend of one of them. They contacted her parents and demanded ransom.”
Despite receiving payment from the victim’s family, the suspects allegedly went ahead to kill her.
“After collecting the N300,000, they still went ahead and murdered the lady,” he added.
Tijani assured that the suspects would be charged to court once investigations are completed, while reiterating the command’s commitment to tackling violent crime in the state.
The case has further raised concerns about safety and criminal activity in parts of Lagos, as authorities continue efforts to curb such incidents.
