The Police Command in Kwara has arrested some suspected kidnappers and cultists in Ilorin metropolis.
The spokesman of the state Police Command, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, made this known in Ilorin on Thursday while briefing newsmen on their recent activities.
He said that three out of five suspected kidnappers have been arrested by the operatives of the command in conjunction with local vigilantes at the Banni forest in Ilorin.
He gave the names of the five suspected kidnappers as Aliyu Abubakar, Aliyu Bingi, Shehu Sanni, Abdullahi Saidu and Bayo Dudu.
He said further that effort was in progress to arrest the fleeing two members of the kidnap gang.
He said: “The search operation led to the arrest of three of the five above named suspects who confessed during interrogation to be kidnappers and that two of their members by name Bayo Dudu and Aliyu Abubakar stay in Niger State.
“Their operational weapon, an AK-47 riffle, is in possession of one of the suspects now at large.
“Effort is still in progress to arrest the remaining members of the kidnap gang”, he assured.
In a similar operation, Okasanmi said the Anti-kidnapping team in collaboration with local vigilantes, acting on intelligence, stormed the Eyenkorin forest and succeeded with the arrest of five suspected kidnappers.
The spokesman also named them as Abubakar Shehu, Mohammed Aliyu, Yunusa Ahmadu, Malami Usman and Dauda Amosa.
He said: “Investigation into the case revealed that Abubakar Shehu a.k.a Dogo, and his gang were the kidnappers behind the kidnap of one Alhaji Madaki Shaibu at Ayegun Fulani Camp sometimes in January 2023, where the son of the Alhaji was killed.
“It was also revealed that Dogo was part of the gang that kidnapped Magistrate Bamigboye also in January 2023.
“The suspects were also into cow rustling, the vehicle used in the cow stealing has been recovered also,” Okasanmi said.
“In another development, police also arrested some secret cult members who are terrorising the state.
“Their names are Habeeb Ayomide, Oni Obasanjo, Mohammed Abdulkareem, Ibrahim Apete, Ajao Musa, Ismail Ayomide, Adebayo Abdulateef and Yusuf Najeem,” he added.
The PPRO said that exhibits recovered from them included local pot with concoction, nature sponges, connation satires and Smart Phone.
He said that all the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded. (NAN)
