BENIN CITY – Edo State Police Command has paraded four suspected kidnappers, including alleged killer of a farmer, one Pius Eromosele reportedly abducted and murdered at Odighi town in Ovia North East local government area of the state.
The police command also displayed to journalists functional AK-47 riffle with breech number K034119, ten rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, Dane gun, dagger, cutlass and other lethal weapons said to have been recovered from the suspects.
The Commissioner of Police in Edo State CP Johnson Kokumo paraded the suspects before newsmen at the state police command headquarters, Benin City, Tuesday.
CP Kokumo said the suspect Tahiru Usman was arrested with blood stained cutlass, dagger cutlass and dane gun during bush combing organized by police after Pius Eromosele was reportedly kidnapped along with Emmanuel Akpan and Kingsley Emmanuel and taken to Odighi forest on March 30, 2018.
He said the suspect who claimed to be a hunter failed to substantiate his claim and the blood stains on his weapons.
The suspect, Tahiru Usman who admitted ownership of the weapons said he was in his hunting spree when he was arrested as the police refused to follow him when he wanted to show them the animal he earlier killed that stained his cutlass.
Also paraded were Murtala Umaru and Rabiu Udu identified as notorious kidnappers who disguised as herders to terrorise their victims.
CP Kokumo explained that the duo were apprehended on April 9, 2018 in a bush in Afuze area by the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
The COMPOL stated that one functional AK-47 riffle with 7.62mm ammunition were recovered from them.
Murtala Umaru and Rabiu Udu confessed to have been in the business of kidnapping for over four years as they have made several millions from it.
They said their partner in crime buys AK-47 riffle at the sum of N200,000.00 from a shop in Abuja.
One Abubakar Ilyasu, 30 a Fulani herder alleged to have been in collaboration with others now at large kidnapped a farmer at Ivbiaro/Afuze junction was also paraded.
The Commissioner of Police however thanked members of the public for their cooperation which he noted led to the arrests just as he assured that the suspects would be arraigned in court soon.
