Ekiti State Police Command has arrested eight suspected kidnappers of pupils and teachers of Apostolic Faith Nursery and Primary School, Emure-Ekiti.
The Police Commissioner, Mr Adeniran Akinwale made this known at a press briefing at the police headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, on Friday, while parading the suspects and recovered items.
The suspects include Abubakar Aliyu, Sumo Karami, Saliu Ibrahim and Umaru Saliu, Mohammed Bashiru, Yahaya Jubril, Usman Garba and Kenneth Ugwu.
The Police Commissioner said that the eight suspects were responsible for the various kidnappings and other related crimes in Ekiti State in recent times.
He said the eight suspects were said to have carried out the abduction of Ekiti State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Paul Omotosho along Agbado/Imesi in July last year and Mr and Mrs Awomiyi along Iju-Itaogbolu/Ikere Road in January, 2024.
Adeniran said items including one AK 47 assorted rifle, one pump action, 21 AK 47 live ammunition, 20 handsets and expended AK47 ammunition shells as well as three Sims card were recovered from them.
The Police boss noted that the arrests were made through the intelligence-led efforts of the Command’s Rapid Response Squad led by CSP Ogundola Marcus.
He said, “In our relentless and deliberate efforts to rid the State off criminal elements especially kidnappers and the quest to ensure the arrest of the hoodlums behind the killing of two traditional rulers in Ikole-Ekiti and the kidnapping of some school children and their teachers in Emure-Ekiti as well as other kidnapping incidents in the State, the Command Rapid Response Squad (RRS) commenced a thorough investigation and operation and arrested Eight (8) members of a kidnapping syndicate and neutralized one. Details below:
“On 8/02/2024 at about 1300hrs, the Command Rapid Response Squad (RRS) received a credible tip-off that a gang of armed men has invaded a farmland at Eda-Oniyo-Ekiti and were planning to kidnap some Expatriates in Dairy Farmland, Ikun-Ekiti.
“Upon receipt of the information, a team of RRS operatives swung into action and arrested one ABUBAKAR ALIYU a.k.a SMALLIE who was on a mission to spy on the actual location of the Expatriates. After the arrest of Abubakar Aliyu a.k.a SMALLIE, the leader of the kidnapping gang identified as one Sumo Karami sent two (2) vigilante members, one Saliu Ibrahim and Umaru Saliu, to secure the bail of the arrested gang member from Police custody.
“The two (2) vigilante members were arrested and they led the RRS operatives to Oro-Ago town where one Mohammed Bashiru, the leader of Miyetti Allah vigilante in Oro-Ago, Kwara State, was arrested. During interrogation, Mohammed Bashiru revealed that he is a relative of Sumo Karami who is a leader of a dreaded kidnapping gang and that Aliyu is one his gang members who have been terrorizing and kidnapping innocent citizens with AK47 rifles and other dangerous weapons.
“Initial investigation revealed that Sumo Karami and his gang members were responsible for the kidnapping of the Pupils and their Teachers in Emure-Ekiti on 29th January, 2024.
“Meanwhile, the phone used to demand for ransom for the release of the Pupils and the Teachers was recovered from the suspects and effort intensified led to the arrest of two (2) among the gang members, namely: Yahaya Jubril and Usman Garba in Owo forest, Ondo State.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of one Kenneth Ugwu in Ibadan, Oyo State, on 14/02/2024. The suspect, during interrogation, confessed to be a member of syndicate who kidnapped 5 Pupils, three (3) teachers and a driver in Emure-Ekiti who was allegedly killed by the kidnappers.
“The suspect led a team of operatives of the RRS to the kidnapper’s hideout inside Agric Reserved Forest between Ise-Ekiti/Emure-Ekiti. On sighting the Police, the armed hoodlums engaged the team in a gun duel. In the process, one of the gang members who was later identified as AYUBA was neutralized, one Abubakar Mohammed a.k.a Smallie was captured alive while other gang members escaped through the forest”.