Five members of two different gangs of kidnappers in Kwara State were on Wednesday paraded by the Kwara State Police Command of Nigeria Police in Ilorin.
The Command’s Commissioner, Paul Odama, said operatives of the command are on the trail of other fleeing suspects.
Odama said the operatives have been ordered to get their arms and money collected from victims.
The suspects arrested and paraded were Babangida Buguda ‘male’ 30 years; Bashiru Yakuba ‘male’ 35 years; Mohammed Umaru ‘male’ 26 years; Garuba Abubakar ‘male’ aka Elero of Lokongoma village; and Abubakar Adam ‘male’.
The police boss said that the suspects had confessed to having killed one Inspector Segun Ayegbulu of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps attached to Ekiti State Command.
The Command also said that the suspected kidnappers had been terrorizing Eruku town in the Ekiti Local Government Area, Oro-Ago town in Ifelodun Local Government Area and Oke-Ode-Share Road in same Ifelodun Local Government Area, all in Kwara State, as well as in Ekiti and Kogi States.
Odama said exhibits found on them included two locally made guns and two telephone handsets.
He said: “On 9/11/2022 at about 1745hours, One Mr. Shina Luke Abiodun ‘male’ of Eruku town in Ekiti local government area of Kwara state, and one other, while riding on a motorcycle on their way from Egbe in Kogi state were accosted at Koro village close to Eruku town by men numbering about six, who emerged from the bush armed with guns and other dangerous weapons.
“The hoodlums opened fire on them and they sustained gunshot injuries. They however escaped the attack and ran to the Anti-Kidnapping patrol team stationed at Eruku town.
“The team moved to the scene and one Techno phone was recovered. Forensic analysis of the phone by the investigators led to the arrest of the kingpin and two of his gang members in Oro-Ago, Ifelodun LGA, Kwara state on 20/12/2022.
“The suspects confessed during interrogation to have been responsible for kidnapping operations within Ekiti, Kogi, and Kwara states respectively.
“One of their victims and his six-year-old son came from Ekiti state to identify and confirmed that they were kidnapped and held captive for six days by the suspects and were released after payment of N6 million.”
“Abubakar Mohammed ‘male’ 15 years old was kidnapped along Oke-Ode-Share road in the Ifelodun LGA, Kwara state on 12/12/2022 by the second gang if suspected kidnappers.
“This prompted the Commissioner of Police to dispatch a team of State Intelligent Bureau (SIB) and conventional Police from the Oke-Ode Division.
“Diligent investigation led to the arrest of one Garuba Abubakar ‘male’ A.K.A. Elero of Lokongoma village and Abubakar Adam ‘male’ of Ile Nam Oke-Ode, Ifelodun LGA, Kwara state who are members of the kidnapping syndicate. They confessed to having been the collector of the N500,000 ransom paid by the victim.
“The leader of the gang, one Chairman Rabiu ‘male’ who is presently at large is said to be in possession of the gang’s firearm and always in the custody of all ransom collected as confessed by two arrested suspects.
“Efforts are on top gear to get him arrested. All the suspects would soon be charged to court.”
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