Police, others smash nine-man kidnap syndicate

The police have arrested a nine-man kidnap syndicate for allegedly terrorising the Abeokuta/Ayetoro area of Ogun State.

The suspects were arrested at their hideout in the Abule Oba area of the state.

This was disclosed in a statement on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi.

According to him, the suspects; Hammed Taiwo, Kehinde Jimoh, Umar Sanda, Sanda Aliu, Ali Morandu, Usman Abubakar, Usman Mohammed, Umaru Ahmadu and Umaru Momodu were arrested, following credible intelligence gathered by policemen at Sabo/Ilupeju divisional headquarters, that Hammed Taiwo and Kehinde Jimoh who are errand okada riders to the kidnap syndicate were sighted somewhere in Rounder area of Abeokuta North local government.

“Upon the information, the Divisional Police Officer, Sabo/Ilupeju division, SP Mustapha Opawoye, quickly moblised his men and moved to the area, where the duo of Hammed Taiwo and Kehinde Jimoh were apprehended,” Mr Oyeyemi said

He said that on interrogation, the suspects confessed been part of the syndicate, but their own role is to run errands and watch the environment to prevent law enforcement agents from getting to them unawares

“Their confession led to the discovery of the hideout of syndicate at Abule oba, off Ayetoro road, where they always meet after collecting ransom from their victims.”

He said that on the discovery of the hideout, the DPO mobilized his men, So Safe Corps, OPC men, local hunters, and men of Amotekun corps stormed the place where all the nine suspects of the syndicate were arrested

He maintained that Preliminary investigation revealed that, the suspects are the group terrorizing Abeokuta/Ayetoro road in recent times as some of their victims have been able to identify them as their abductors

“The state commissioner of police, CP Lanre Bankole, who expressed satisfaction about the intelligence-based investigation carried out by his men which led to the arrest of the hoodlums has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to anti-kidnapping section of the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for discreet investigation,” he concluded. (Channels TV)