Kidnappers have asked for N53 million as ransom before they release three victims in their custody.
The victims include a cleric, Pastor S.B Oladunni, Chairman of ECWA Igbaja District Church Council and a woman identified as the wife of Head of a family and another person who were all kidnapped on Saturday night in Agbeku community in Ifelodun Local Government area of Kwara state.
Traditional ruler of Agbeku Land, Oba Abdulazeez Agboola,who confirmed the ransoms placed on the three victims by the kidnappers in a telephone interview with journalists on Monday said police investigation was ongoing to get to the root of the kidnap saga in the community.
According to the monarch, “While a N20m ransom was placed on the Reverend father by the kidnappers, N30m ransom was placed on the woman and N3m on the third person.”
Meanwhile three more suspects have been arrested by the police over last weekend kidnap incident
Our correspondent gathered that the three suspects were arrested on Sunday as discreet police investigation continued into the spate of kidnap incidents in some communities in the Kwara South Senatorial District of the state.
They were reportedly kept in custody at the Igbaja Divisional Police Headquarters.
In a related development, two victims of the kidnap incident which occurred at Ora town also in Ifelodun local government of the state two weeks ago, were released on Monday morning according to credible sources.
Efforts to reach the police authorities on Monday proved abortive.
The Kwara state police command at weekend said that it had arrested seven other suspected kidnappers in the Kwara South Senatorial District of the state.
According to the State police Commissioner, Victor Olaiya, the arrest of the suspects was sequel to the disturbing incidents of kidnapping in some parts of Kwara South, especially in Ora, Oke-Ode and other areas in Ifelodun Local Government Area.
He said the command, after due consultation resulting from highly potent intelligence gathered, led to the formation of a powerful team comprising men drawn from the Counter Terrorism Unit, Anti-Robbery, Anti-Kidnapping, Anti-Cultism, Anti-Nacotic, Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD), Police Mobile Force (PMF), and Police Medical.
Olaiya, said the team was handed a distinct directive to comb the bushes and forests in the identified areas, arrest criminals found, recover arms and ammunition, rescue victims and clear the bushes of criminal elements.
“The operation began on 1/11/2023 with positive outcome recorded.
The Commissioner gave the names of the arrested suspects to include Umaru Mohammodu aka Yellow ‘M’, Muhammodu Mohammaodu aka Kerimi ‘M’, Garuba Abubakar ‘M’, Iliasu Usman ‘M’, Ibrahim Abubakar ‘M’, Usman Haruna ‘M’ and Umaru Bello ‘M’ who is an informant.
Olaiya said that the Police recovered ammunition and a cash of N1,736,000 from the suspects.
“Sequel to the disturbing incidents of kidnapping in some parts of Kwara South, especially in Ora, Oke-Ode and other areas in Ifelodun Local Government Area, the command, after due consultation resulting from highly potent intelligence gathered, led to the formation of a powerful team comprising men drawn
Meanwhile, the seven suspects arrested in the operation and named above have been arraigned in court and presently remanded in Prison custody. Vigorous efforts are on to apprehend the perpetrators of this recent unfortunate incident.
