Oyo State Police command, on Tuesday, paraded 15 suspected kidnappers at different locations in addition to the rescue of victims and recovery of assorted fire arms and ammunition in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Adewale Williams, who paraded the suspects at the Police Headquarters in Ibadan, said some of the suspects were noted for intercepting parents while taking their children and wards to their respectives school in Ibadan and its environs.
The suspects, according to him, were Abolaji AbdulAzeez, Alese; Adewale Abolarinwa; Buba Bello; Monday Maleek; Austine Clement; Lanre Divian and David Jeremiah.
Others are: Mohammadh Abdulahi; Umar Mohammed; Abubakar Umaru Hadari Mohammadu; Ibrahim Taiwo; Mohammadu Taiwo and Mohammadu Bello.
He stated that they were all picked up from their respective hideouts in the state.
CP said, “On 21st July, 2022 at about 0830hrs, one Mrs. Okafor Patience was conveying her children to school in a Toyota Rav-4 Jeep and on getting to Orita Challenge area, Ibadan, she was intercepted by some members of a dreaded kidnapping syndicate who were heavily armed with sophisticated firearms and some other dangerous weapons.
“The kidnappers then proceeded in bundling the said Mrs. Okafor Patience, into one ML-350N Mercedes Benz Jeep which they drove off the scene, whisking her away to an unknown destination from where they subsequently contacted her relatives.
Immediately the case was reported at the nearest Police Station.
“Also on 28th August 2022, the same syndicate intercepted one Atitebi Ganiyat who was conveying her eight-year old son to school in a Toyota Highlander Jeep along Felele link road, Lagos/Ibadan expressway.
“Fortunately, the eight-year old boy was abandoned in the Highlander Jeep at Sagamu area of Ogun State.
“Sequel to these developments, painstaking investigations continued by the command Monitoring Unit and these led to the arrest of some of the suspects.
“In furtherance of the above, two Pump Action Riffles, three live cartridges, an ML-350 Mercedes Benz Jeep, a Toyota Corolla Vehicle which they used for the criminal activities and cash sum of Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira which was part of the ransom they collected from the 2nd victim was recovered from the suspects.
“Six additional vehicles, one Honda Element Jeep, One Lexus 350 Car, Nissan Cabster, one Honda Accord Car, One Toyota Matrix Car and a Nissan Micra Car which they later confessed to have purchased from the proceeds of the criminal venture were also recovered from the suspects.”
Williams noted that the suspects have confessed to the crime and other series of high profile kidnapping incidents previously executed in the state.
He said investigation still continues and further developments would be communicated in due course.