Officers of the Ekiti State Police command have arrested eight suspects in connection with the killing of two traditional rulers in the state as well as kidnapping of pupils and teachers of a private school in Emure Ekiti.
The police have recovered the telephone used in negotiating for ransom paid for the release of the pupils and the teachers.
Those arrested are: ABUBAKAR ALIYU, Saliu Ibrahim, Umaru Saliu, Mohammed Bashiru, Kenneth Ugwu, Yahaya Jubril and Usman Garba
The police have also located a major kidnapping hideout at Agric Reserved Forest between Ise-Ekiti/Emure-Ekiti
According to the police, on Thursday, 8 February, 2024, at about 1300hrs, the Command Rapid Response Squad (RRS) received a credible tip-off that a gang of armed men has invaded a farmland at Eda-Oniyo-Ekiti and were planning to kidnap some Expatriates in Dairy Farmland, Ikun-Ekiti.
ABUBAKAR ALIYU a.k.a SMALLIE was on a mission to spy on the actual location of the expatriates and he was subsequently arrested.
After the arrest of Abubakar Aliyu a.k.a SMALLIE, the leader of the kidnapping gang identified as one Sumo Karami sent two vigilante members, one Saliu Ibrahim and Umaru Saliu, to secure the bail of the arrested gang member from Police custody.
They led the RRS operatives to Oro-Ago town where one Mohammed Bashiru, the leader of Miyetti Allah vigilante in Oro-Ago, Kwara State, was arrested. Mohammed Bashiru revealed that he is a relative of Sumo Karami.
Sumo Karami and his gang members were responsible for the kidnapping of the pupils and their teachers in Emure-Ekiti on Monday, 29 January, 2024.
The phone used to demand for ransom for the release of the pupils and the teachers was recovered from the suspects and effort intensified led to the arrest of two among the gang members, namely: Yahaya Jubril and Usman Garba in Owo forest, Ondo State.
Further investigation led to the arrest of one Kenneth Ugwu in Ibadan, Oyo State, on 14/02/2024. The suspect, during interrogation, confessed to be a member of a kidnapping syndicate who kidnapped five pupils, three teachers and a driver in Emure-Ekiti who was allegedly killed by the kidnappers.
Investigation revealed that the syndicate was responsible for the kidnapping of one Paul Omotosho, the APC Chairman, Ekiti State, along Agbado/Imesi, Ekiti road on 08/07/2023, the kidnapping of Mr. and Mrs. Awoniyi along Ikere/Itaogbolu road in the month of January this year.
Recoverd from members of the gang are: One AK 47 assorted rifle; One pump action gun loaded with five lives cartridges; 21 AK47 live ammunition; Expended shells of AK-47 ammunition; one face-mask; one nose mask; two pairs of hand glove; 20 different handsets;
one National ID Card bearing Salisu Mohammed; two MTN sim card; and one airtel sim card
