A suspected member of a kidnapping gang, Usman Aliyu, has been arrested by the police in Ogun State.
Earlier, the police had arrested two members of the “deadly” gang at Onigbedu forest in the Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun.
In a statement on Sunday, the Ogun State police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the police had engaged in aggressive bush combing exercise, leading to the arrest of Usman, who had earlier escaped.
The fleeing suspect was arrested on December 14, following information received by policemen at Ewekoro division that the suspect was sighted boarding a commercial motorbike at Onigbedu, moving towards Papalanto en route Lagos.
Upon the information, Oyeyemi said the DPO of Ewekoro division, CSP Sunday Opebiyi, had quickly mobilized his men on a stop-and-search operation along the said road, saying “the suspect was subsequently identified and promptly arrested.”
Oyeyemi stated that the man “confessed during interrogation, he confessed being a member of the kidnap gang, whose two members were earlier arrested and a victim rescued from them.”
He had told the police they were six in number, and that when two among them were nabbed, the remaining four members ran into different directions in the forest.
“But since policemen are not relenting in searching for them in the bush, he decided to come out and take a commercial motorcycle out of that vicinity,” Oyeyemi stated.
According to him, the suspect had confessed further that his gang was responsible for the abduction of one Owolabi Abiodun and Fakorede Kazeem at Kipe village, Idi-Ori, Abeokuta on October 7, 2022.
Oyeyemi qouted him as saying that the abducted Fakorede Kazeem was “killed by the gang because he was unable to walk fast while they were being taking away in the bush.”
He informed the police that they also kidnapped a 10-year-old girl, Adekunle Esther, and one 15-year-old boy, Adekunle Adebayo, at Olomowewe Street, Rounder, Abeokuta on October 10, 2022.
He had confessed further that on October 19, the gang had kidnapped one Mrs Famurewa at Abule Ijaye in Soyooye, Abeokuta,z at the entrance of their house, killing her 65-old-husband, Festus Famurewa. The wife was later released after collecting ransom.
Also, on November 16, 2022, the duo of Olatunji Azeez and Osoba Moroof were reportedly dragged away by the same gang at Olujobi town in Itori for ransom payment.
“All the victims, including the two kids have come forward to identify the suspects as those who abducted them,” Oyeyemi said.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has commended the public for giving the police necessary information, assuring that other members of the gang will be arrested.
