Nemesis has caught up with 10 among suspected kidnappers that have also been terrorising the popular Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, as they have been apprehended by the men of Oyo State Police Command with the support of other security agencies, including Amotekun Corps.
The suspects, according to the police, were responsible for the abduction of a former deputy vice chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof Adigun Agbaje, who was kidnapped at the Onigaari axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway around 6pm on October 28, 2022. A ransom of N10million was said to have been collected before he was released. But he sustained a gun bullet injury on his head.
The suspects’ names were given as Mohammed Salfa, 20; Usman Hassan,22, fondly called Yellow; Mohammed Bello,28; Babangida Buhari Awalu, 34; Kabiru Aliyu,25, fondly called Dangata; Mikailu Yahaya, 25; Muhammadu Umoru,30; as well as Ayanwola Samson Gbenga,22; Adewuyin Adewumi Sunday, 34; and Rafiu Abdulmajeed,40.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr. Adebowale Williams, who paraded the suspects before journalists at Eleyele, Ibadan, on Thursday, revealed that exhibits recovered from the suspects include cash sum of N7.5million, four AK-47 rifles, 75 AK-47 live ammunition, two pairs of military camouflage, one mobile beret, and a victim’s bag.
Three suspected kidnappers, who allegedly killed a United States-based Ogbomoso born hotelier, Mr. Gbenga Owolabi, were also paraded by Williams before journalists. They were also said to have been responsible kidnapping and killing of a final year student of Fine and Applied Arts, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Racheal Opadele. Both Owolabi and Opadele were abducted on July 28, 2022 and were killed on Tuesday August 2, 2022 after a ransom of N5milion was paid.
On the suspects arrested in connection with kidnapping on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Williams stated: “On 28th October, 2022 at about 1700hours, some members of a dreaded kidnapping syndicate, who were reportedly armed with AK-47 Riffles and some other sophisticated firearms attacked and kidnapped an academic don and seven other persons, who were traveling along the Ibadan end of the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.
“The dare-devil gunmen equally attacked a team of responding policemen while heeding the distress call in a bid to rescue trapped victims on the highway. This in turn led to the death of an Inspector of Police, who paid the supreme price in a fierce gun duel.
The kidnappers later whisked the victims away to an unknown destination through the thick forest along the said Ibadan/Lagos Expressway, while their relatives were contacted for monetary demands in exchange for their liberty.”
Williams explained that “some of the abductors in a carefully arranged identification parade in line with professional standard practices were identified by the victims from the incident at full glare.”
The police boss added that some were arrested at Ojoo, and Ago-Are in Oyo State, while a number of them were also arrested at Gbugbu area of Kwara State.
According to him, investigation revealed that the monies received from the victims were moved into the bank accounts of Adewuyi Adewumi Sunday, Ayanwola Samson Gbenga, and Rafiu Abdulmajeed for onward distribution to other members of the kidnapping syndicate. The suspects, he said, confessed that the transactions were made into the three suspects’ bank accounts via Point of Sales terminals at choice locations to evade arrest.
“The manhunt for other members of the criminal syndicate continues as further development will be communicated accordingly,” he said.
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