Police Headquarters

By  Adibe Emenyonu    

The State Security Service (SSS)  Tuesday paraded 10 suspects, among who were two girls, for various offences ranging from kidnapping to cultism.

Parading the suspects at the SSS headquarters in Benin City, the state capital, the State Director, Mr. Makori Tukur, told journalists that the suspects were involved in various kidnapping incidents across the state, including one in which a businessman in Ekpoma paid N45 million as ransom.

The two girls, Doris Sebatie and Queen Sunday, according to Tukur, were also part of a kidnap ring in which they allegedly collected N5 million from their
victim.

Another kidnap gang was also alleged to have abducted an 18-year-old girl, raped her and collected N18,000 from the parents.

Leader of the gang, who gave his name as Emmanuel, said the victim was his girl friend, and that  she was the one that arranged the kidnapp in order to get money from her mother. He said he gave the suspects money and another member N2,000. Items recovered from the suspects include two cut-to-size double barrel gun and 18 live cartridges.

Meanwhile, the suspected cultist, Emmanuel Ighobo, said he is a student of Institute of management and Technology, Usen in Edo State, studying Business Administration.

Items recovered from him were two cut-to-size single barrel gun and 36 live cartridges.

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who came to witness the parade, said his administration would continue to tackle crime in the state, adding that measures would be put in place to reward those involved in the operation to rid the state of crime.