Police have arrested five members of a kidnap syndicate terrorizing Obada Oko and its environs in Ogun state.
The suspects; Aliu Manya, Usman Abubakar, Abayomi Olayiwola, Nasiru Muhammad and Bello Usman who had carried out a kidnapping operation recently, were arrested inside a forest at Eleja area of Obada Oko at about 8 p.m.
The Divisional Police Officer, Obada Oko division, Tijani Muhammed, who was acting on a tip-off about their presence in the bush, mobilised police operatives, So-Safe Corps, hunters and local vigilante group who stormed the forest where the five suspects were arrested.
The police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the arrest in a release on Wednesday, listing illicit drugs such as packs of tramadol, weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, three cutlasses, and two motorcycles marked MEK 504 VC and ODE 423 VC respectively as items recovered from them.
Abimbola, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), noted that N73,000 was also recovered from the suspects, adding that their victim who was earlier kidnapped and released had come forward to identify them as those that kidnapped him.
Also, the victim’s brother, who took ransom money to them also identified two of the suspects as those who collected the money from him for the release of his brother.
According to the police spokesperson in the State, the suspects will be transferred to the anti kidnapping unit of the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for a thorough investigation as directed by the commissioner of police, Lanre Bankole.
