Delta State Police Command on Monday
arrested five members of a notorious kidnapping syndicate.
In a statement on Monday in Asaba,
Commissioner of Police, Ikechukwu Aduba, said “the members of the kidnapping
syndicate had been terrorising Warri/Ughelli areas of the state in recent
times”.
He said one Prince Maku and Goodluck
Igbo Oghre were apprehended after a hot chase by the Special anti-crime patrol,
adding that N920,000 neatly packaged in a small handbag was recovered from the
suspects.
Aduba explained that the suspects
confessed that the N920, 000 was a ransom paid by a kidnap victim. The
confessional statements, he explained, led to the arrest of Mr. Timothy
Akpofure, Mr. Moses Uba and Mr. Ogutua Nanapore Sunday.
On executing a search warrant in the
house and premises of the arrested suspects, two AK 47 riffles and four
magazines, each loaded with 35 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, were recovered from
them.
Aduba said, “Sequel to the revelation
made by the suspects that they belong to a 20-man kidnapping syndicate
responsible for some series of kidnapping/armed robbery incidents within
Ughelli/Warri areas, part of which was the kidnapping of one Daddy Bakery and
that of a woman after the Army checkpoint at Osubi of which the paid ransom was
recovered, a team of anti-kidnapping detectives booked and left with the
suspects with the intention of effecting the arrest of other members of the
gang.
“The team of the detectives however
ran into an ambush suspected to be laid by the arrested suspects’ accomplices,
and in the gun duel that ensued, the five suspects suffered fatal gunshots.
“The five suspects’ operational bases
have been identified and, with the full ascent of the state government, marked
for total demolition.”
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