The police have arrested six persons for allegedly aiding the escape of six suspects from police custody in Division ‘A’ Lokoja, Kogi State, last week Wednesday. They include John Beneche, 22, Seye Atowoju, 27, Danjuma Yunusa, 35, Egga Ochai, 50, Abbas Haruna, 30, and Gloria Audu, 28, sister to Emmanuel, one of the re-arrested prime suspects in Senator Dino Melaye's arms case.
The force in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja by its spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, explained that the six suspects played criminal roles in the escape of Kabiru Seidu ( aka Osama), Nuhu Salisu (aka Small), Aliyu Isa, Adams Suleiman, Emmanuel Audu and Musa Mohammed.
Their escape led to the removal of the state Commissioner of Police, Ali Janga, who was replaced by Sunday Ogbu. Thirteen other police officers were also detained over the incident and are facing disciplinary measures.
Seidu and Salisu had alleged that Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West senatorial district in the National Assembly, gave them guns and some money to disrupt the 2019 general elections.
The police said the six principal suspects and the accomplices in their escape were re -arrested in different locations and had been transferred to a detention centre in Abuja last Saturday.
The statement explained that Beneche took four of the fugitives to a hideout at Ganaja Village, Lokoja, adding that Atowoju was arrested in the process of relocating Seidu, Salisu, Mohammed and Audu.
The police further stated Yunusa accompanied the gang leader, Seidu, to the house of one Egga Ochai by water side, Lokoja. "Ochai harboured Seidu in his house for two days and thereafter went to the village of the principal suspect in Dekina Local Government and brought one Abbas Haruna (his Mallam) to Lokoja.
"Haruna orchestrated his movement from Lokoja to his home town at Tafa Balewa Local Government Area in Bauchi State where both of them were arrested” the statement said. It added that the only female suspect, Gloria, was nabbed for harbouring Emmanuel her brother, for some days to enable him to escape arrest. "All suspects will be arraigned in court for prosecution on completion of investigation” the police stated.