Police arrest Ekiti kidnap syndicate, arrest members in Kwara, Osun

The Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Tunde Mobayo, on Wednesday, has said a dismissed policeman, identified only as Samuel, was among members of a kidnap syndicate arrested by officers and men of the Rapid Response Squad in the state.

He said the  suspect has  confessed to participating in different abductions and robberies in the state.

The Commissioner, who was represented by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, spoke in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday while parading suspects arrested for different criminal activities, including kidnapping.

“Police investigation led to the arrest on November 17 of one Johnson, who confessed to being a member of a notorious kidnapping gang and further stated that he usually impersonated Fulani herdsmen due to his physical resemblance to a Fulani man,” he added.

Mobayo noted that one Dele, popularly known as Petim, who was arrested on November 18 in Ilorin, Kwara State, confessed to be the third-in-command of the kidnapping gang.

The CP said, “He stated that he specialised in burglary and stealing and had burgled more than 10 shops/houses and carted away more than 12 motorcycles. He confessed further that the four guns earlier recovered by the police were concealed by him in his mother-in-law’s house in Ado-Ekiti.”

The police boss said one Blessing, whose duty was to identify victims for kidnapping, was also arrested as one of the members of the kidnap syndicate.

According to the CP, Blessing and another suspect in police custody profiled a resident, Chief Abiodun Ayeni, for abduction.

Ayeni, who was kidnapped by the gang, jumped out of the moving car and died while receiving treatment in a hospital.

Mobayo also said men of the RRS also arrested one Bello at Igbara-Odo-Ekiti, where he demanded N50,000 ransom for the release of a victim, Shekina.

He noted that Bello, alongside his accomplice, who was arrested, “confessed to have handed over the victim to one Fatima, who forcibly whisked her away to Ilesa, Osun State, where the victim was kept hostage for 13 days.”

“The RRS operatives extended investigation to Osun State, where the victim was rescued and Fatima arrested,” he added.