Police arrest five suspected kidnappers tormenting Ogun community

Michael-Azeez Ogunsiji

ABEOKUTA – Five members of a kidnap syndicate, terrorizing Obada Oko community in Abeokuta have been arrested by operatives of Ogun state police command.

The suspects; Aliu Manya, Usman Abubakar, Abayomi Olayiwola, Nasiru Muhammad and Bello Usman were arrested, following an information received by policemen attached to Obada Oko divisional headquarters that the men were sighted on two motorcycle inside forest at Eleja area of Obada Oko at about 8 p.m.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi in a statement said, upon the information, the DPO Obada-Oko division, CSP Tijani Muhammed, quickly mobilized his men and in conjunction with other stakeholders like So-Safe Corps, hunters and local vigilante, stormed the forest where the five suspects were apprehended.

Recovered from them are illicit drugs such as packs of tramadol, weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, three cutlasses, and two motorcycles with registration number MEK 504 VC and ODE 423 VC as well as cash sum of seventy three thousand naira.

Oyeyemi said while the investigation was going on, a kidnap victim who was earlier kidnapped and released came forward to identify the suspects as those that kidnapped him.

His brother, who took ransom money to them also identified two amongst the suspects as those who collected the money from him for the release of his brother.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, has ordered the transfer of the suspects to an anti-kidnapping unit of the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for discreet investigation.

He also directed that other members of the gang should be hunted for and brought to justice.

He, therefore, appealed to members of the public to assist the police by giving them useful information that will assist in tracking down the criminals within their areas.