Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Edo State Police Command has arrested four suspected kidnappers and a 52-year-old Islamic teacher, Jubril Ibrahim, during operations targeting criminal activities in parts of Edo North Senatorial District.
The suspects were paraded on Tuesday by the Commissioner of Police, Patrick Daor, alongside six other suspects arrested for various offences, including a 21-year-old man accused of stealing a baby in Benin City.
According to the police, the suspected kidnappers had reportedly been terrorising residents in the Auchi, Jattu and Okpella areas before their arrest in Niger State following intelligence-led investigations.
Daor alleged that Ibrahim was linked to the suspects and was being investigated for reportedly preparing charms for members of the kidnapping group.
The Islamic teacher, however, denied the allegation, insisting that he only offered prayers for one of the suspects at the request of the suspect’s mother.
“I gather Almajiri and teach them the Qur’an. So, Ahmadu Suleiman’s mother came to me and said I should be praying for her son, that he travels a lot, so I should pray for his safe trip to and from, and that is what I have been doing. I pray for him to have a safe trip,” Ibrahim said through an interpreter.
When questioned about the suspect’s possession of an AK-47 rifle, Ibrahim reportedly acknowledged that he was aware the suspect had a firearm.
One of the suspected kidnappers, 24-year-old Ahmadu Suleiman, reportedly admitted participating in a kidnapping operation in Auchi and claimed he had worked with different kidnapping syndicates in several parts of the country before returning to Niger State.
“When we get to the community, we look for a beautiful house and shoot into the air, and in the process of scampering for their lives, they run out, and we hold them and take them to the bush, and demand for money. I got One Million Naira from the Auchi operation, and that was the only kidnapping I involved myself in that area,” Suleiman said through an interpreter.
The suspect further claimed that the group did not rely on informants but allegedly selected targets based on expensive-looking houses and vehicles in communities they visited.
Police also paraded a 21-year-old suspect accused of stealing a baby at Ring Road in Benin City. A stolen vehicle was also recovered during the command’s operations.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, said the arrests were made possible through intelligence gathering and urged residents to continue providing credible information to support efforts aimed at tackling crime across the state.
The command said investigations into the cases were ongoing.
