Five suspected kidnappers arrested in Edo, three victims rescued

The Edo State Police Command on Tuesday said it has arrested five suspected kidnappers, Mohammed Ali, Abdullahi Umar, Bello Tambaya, Hassan Mohammad and Adamu Bello, who were said to be operating at Udo, Iguobazuwa, Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State.

According to a press statement by the spokesperson of the state command, Bello Kontongs, the police also rescued three kidnapped victims at Okpella, Iddo, Etsako East Local Government Area of the state.

“Operatives of the Edo State Police Command led by Divisional Police Officer on Monday at about 6.50pm, acting on credible information, arrested five suspected kidnappers at their hideout in Udo, Iguobazuwa, Area of Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State,” the statement read.

On the rescued kidnapped victims, the police statement read, “On Sunday at about 12noon, the Edo State Police Command received credible information that hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers bearing weapons were sighted around Unomi Farm Land in Iddo Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, together with some persons believed to have been kidnapped.

“On receipt of the information, a combined team of police operatives and local hunters led by the Divisional Police Officer, Okpella Division, immediately mobilised to the location on a rescue mission and arrested the suspects.

“The suspected kidnappers, because of the superior fire power from the team of operatives, had to abandon their victims unhurt and escaped into the bush, with various degrees of bullet wounds.

“The rescued victims are Marcellus Ekhayeme, Igbafe Austine and Musa Aliu.”