The Ondo State Police Command has arrested and paraded five kidnappers that kidnapped the traditional head of Iku quarters in Ikare-Akoko, High Chief Mukaila Bello and three others along the Owo-Ikare highway two weeks ago.
The five suspects are Ilyasu Lawal, 27, Mohammadu Abubakar Sidi, 26, Garuba Bature, 36, Abubakar Dangy, 20 and Mohammed Mosere, 25.
They were paraded at the state police command in Akure with three barrels, five live cartridges, two face masks, and two jack knives as the items retrieved from them.
The Trumpet had earlier reported that the traditional ruler, the Onikun of lkun, Mukaila Bello and others including a former House of Assembly Candidate for Akoko North-East Constituency Yèyé Gbafinro, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Adeniran Adeyemo and a community leader, Bashiru Adekile, were kidnapped on August 4 around Ago Yeye, along Owo/ large road and their driver was shot in the head.
According to the police, the suspects were captured in various locations in Ondo State and Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The suspects said their leader who is on the run declared that N 2 million ransom was collected instead of N 4 million paid by the victim’s family.
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According to them, N200,000 each was given to them for the operation by their leader.
However, the relation of one of the victims, Abdul Muritala, who took the ransom to their leader said he delivered N4 million to him as a ransom which he counted before releasing the suspects.
Abdul Muritala said the abductors had initially demanded an N500m ransom, but the victim’s families were able to raise N4m with contributions from the entire community.
“They said we should pay N200 million but we begged them and they reduced it to N4 million. The community contributed the ransom money. Our people spent three days with them without eating any food.
“They released them along Ikare Owo road. I was the person that took the ransom money to the place. I saw the kidnappers.
” They came out with guns. They did not wear masks when they came out to collect the ransom. When we dropped the money they said we should go and that we will see our people soon.”
The state Police Commissioner, Oyeyemi Oyediran said Dangy was arrested in Owo town and the four other suspects were arrested at their residence in Ibadan.
Oyeyemi added that the kidnapper that was involved in the killing of a soldier and abduction of a Lebanese in Owo has also been arrested and charged to court.
He said the suspect, Yusuf Hamza, was arrested through forensic investigation and that efforts were on to arrest other suspects.
He said the paraded suspects would soon be charged to Court.
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