By Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja
Kogi State Police Command yesterday paraded 27 suspected kidnappers that had been terrorising the state in the last three months.
The Kogi State Police Commissioner, CP Yakubu Usman while parading the suspects before newsmen at the State Police Command said they were arrested across the state with dangerous weapons.
According to him, on March 2, they got information that some Fulani’s suspected to be armed robbers and kidnappers were sighted in a hotel in Idah, adding that his men quickly swung into action and arrested the suspects.
The CP further disclosed that during interrogation, the suspects confessed to have kidnapped one Isah Ibrahim with others and the sum of two million five hundred thousand was paid as ransom, stressing that the suspects also stated that in the month of December last year, they kidnapped one Mallam Isah Yusuf and the sum of five hundred thousand was collected and they killed the victim, because he could identify one of his captives.
“As a result of the arrest of the suspect his gang members went and killed the victim’s father named Mohammed Yusuf at Idah” he said.
Also paraded along other kidnappers was one Maha Musa who kidnapped Mr. Lily Yunpin a Chinese national.
According to the Commissioner of Police, the suspect was arrested and during interrogation, confessed to various armed robbery, kidnapping, and attack on SARS base at Ejule, adding that himself and six others kidnapped the victim last month and a ransom of N3 million naira was collected while N100,000 naira was given to him as his share.
Mohammed Isah and Iliyasu Abubakar were arrested for kidnapping seven years old boy in Aloma, Ofu local government council of the state.
According to the CP, on March 20, one Sule Adamu Usman of Aloma Fulani camp in Ofu local government council of the state, reported that on that at about 4pm, one of his wives called him that his son named Halilu Usman seven years old was kidnapped by unknown gun men in the stream.
He mentioned that the kidnappers called with phone a number demanding for a ransom of N1million and that during the payment of the ransom, one Mohammed Isah was arrested by the operatives attached to SARS and on interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and led detectives to arrest two others.
CP Yakubu Usman further disclosed that some suspects were killed during a shootout with his men, warning that kidnapping and armed robbery cases would soon be over as his men are fully ready to checkmate the activities of criminals in the state.
On the activities of cultism in Lokoja the state capital in the last four months, the CP said those involved in cultism which led to the killing of two young men had been arrested and taken to court.
He assured the people of the state adequate security as he appealed that whoever had information on criminals should report to the nearest police station.
