Ogun: Police arrest three suspected kidnappers terrorising travellers on Lagos/Ibadan expressway

By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta

Operatives of Ogun state police command have arrested three members of a kidnap syndicate, who have been terrorising commuters along Lagos/Ibadan express way for quite some time now.

The suspected kidnappers; Nathaniel Jacob aged 24 from Nasarawa State, Isah Danladi aged 22 years from Kogi State and 23-years old Abubakar Rabiu from Niger state were said to have been arrested on Thursday, April 8 at Fidiwo area of Lagos/Ibadan express way.

According to statement from Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, on Monday, the police were said to have swooped on the kidnappers following a tipoff from some hunters, who sighted them in the bush where they were planning on how to strike along the expressway.

The hunters were said to have quickly alerted the police, who rallied other stakeholders such as So Safe Corps,  hunters group and stormed the Fidiwo Alapako bush for the operation.

On sighting the police, the suspected kidnappers were said to have taken to their heels in the bush, luck however ran out of the three and they were subsequently apprehended, while three others escaped with their arms.

On interrogation, the suspects were said to have confessed to have been in the bush for the past ten days, waiting for a convenient opportunity to strike. They were said to have explained that it took them that long because of heavy presence of policemen in that stretch of the expressway.

The suspected kidnappers were also stated to have confessed that they were members of six man gang and that the escaped three were in possession of their arms.

The police said that preliminary investigation revealed that the gang was responsible for the series of kidnapping along the expressway. Recovered from them were cutlasses which they claimed were seized from farmers they saw in their farms.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Awolowo Ajogun has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to anti kidnapping unit of the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for discreet investigation.

Ajogun has also assured members of the public that all the kidnap cases in the state will not go unresolved, as the command is working assiduously to bring the perpetrators to book.

It would be recalled that one Dr Oladuni Odetola, head of General Hospital, Imeko and a nurse, one Mrs Bamgbose were on Wednesday night, abducted by unknown gunmen along Abeokuta-Imeko road while another 13-yr-old boy, Ajibola Gbolahan was reportedly abducted too by some gun wielding marauders around 8pm on Saturday at Obada-Oko near Abeokuta.