Edo Police Arrest Kidnap Kingpin

Edo Police Arrest Kidnap Kingpin

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Anti-Kidnapping Squad of Edo State Police Command has arrested the leader of a kidnap gang that allegedly abducted Mr. Andy Ehanire of Ogba Zoological Garden in Benin City.

The victim, a blood brother of the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, was kidnapped on September 24, 2017, an incident which led to the death of three policemen who were on guard at the garden.

The 48-year-old prime suspect identified as Lucky Asaba Alebi was arrested in his hideout in Sapele, Delta State. Report said the suspect and his gang members that were earlier arrested by the police had stormed Ogba Zoo in Benin City around 5.00 p.m with an Audi 80 car.

The heavily armed hoodlums who be-friended the three policemen on duty bought some drinks for them and they interacted freely, but unknown to the policemen the suspects came with the main purpose of killing them.

During the drinking process, the hoodlums brought out their AK47 riffles and killed the three policemen on the spot. The three policemen killed were: Inspector Henry Eguaoba, Sgt. Christopher Omoregie and Sgt Igbinoba Stephen, all from Airport Police Division in Benin City.

Alebi immediately ran after Andy Ehanire, who upon hearing gunshots, wanted to escape. He was later held, dispossessed of his revolver pistol and dragged into the waiting Audi 80 car after the hoodlums shot sporadically into the air and drove to Ogba river bank where a speed boat was already waiting to ferry them away.

During the escape, the hoodlums burnt down their own car to avoid any trace and took their victim through Ologbo River to Ogbogolo River side in Warri, Delta sSate where ransom negotiation was later opened.

The report added that thousands of dollars equivalent to N65 million was collected by the hoodlums as ransom, but a gang member who collected the money played a fast one on his gang members when he declared N42 million as the amount he collected from the family.

It was revealed that their victim, Andy Ehanire, escaped from the camp where he was kept but could not find his way out of the creek and was later recaptured.

The suspect told our reporter that five soldiers who were on their trail in the creek were killed while their military patrol boat capsised.

The seven-gang member arrested and now in Oko Correctional Centre in Benin City are: Precious Moliy popularly called Ebilade, Ayebi Posigha, Eddy Obiri, Gabriel Ofeyi popularly called Gabilo, Prester Kataboe Awala, Ebis Paymaster and Michael Ayighi.

The prime suspect said he has two wives and eight children but appealed to the police for mercy as he has since repented and now a church worker.

But the police said he would be charged to court for kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, unlawful possession of firearms and cultism.

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