The Kogi state command of the Nigeria Police on Monday paraded five suspected kidnappers and armed robbers operating on the Lokoja-Okene road in the state.
The arrested suspects include those that kidnapped a traditional ruler from Jakura, Usman Adoga, killed his son in the process and also abducted a Reverend father, Leo Micheal, last month.
Parading the suspects at the Kogi Police command headquarters, Lokoja, the state commissioner of police, Ali Janga, said the suspects were arrested based on intelligent report following a tip-off.
According to him, one of the suspects, Ibrahim Musa, who was part of the gang which abducted the Rev Father at Irepeni village along Lokoja -Okene road and Chief of Jakura, gave useful information to the police on their activities.
He, however, added that the command was on the trail of other suspects connected with that incidents.
The police commissioner also said the police recovered N240,000 from the suspect.
The Police Commissioner, therefore, appealed to members of the public to always avail the command of information of happenings around them negatively in order to flush out criminals from the state.
Janga said a total sum of N1.1m was paid as ransom to the gang members before the Chief of Jakura was released, saying that the command would arraign the suspects in the law court immediately they complete their investigation.
Musa, however, confessed that he took part in the kidnapping operation, saying one of the gang members, Shagari shot and killed the son of the chief of Jakura in one of their operations in that axis.
According to the suspect, who hailed from Niger state, he had been into kidnapping and robbery for years, adding that he relocated to Kogi State with others to continue making money from banditry activities.
Also speaking with newsmen, the Chief of Jakura, who was a victim of the kidnappers said he ran into the group and unfortunately, he lost his son in the process.
He stressed that he was dragged to an unknown place in the bush where he spent five days before he was released.
Credit: Tribune
