*Security operatives kill suspected kidnapper in Ekiti
*As abductors of Edo school pupils demand N100m ransom
Four persons, including a Customs Officer, his wife, a woman Assistant Superintendent of Police and another woman, were, yesterday, kidnapped by gunmen in Kwamba, Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
It was gathered that the armed men stormed the residence of the Customs Officer, raided and looted the house before picking up the officer and his wife.
A source from the area also revealed that the gunmen proceeded to the residence of the female police officer where she was abducted, but how the fourth victim was kidnapped could not be ascertained.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Monday Kuyars, who confirmed the incident, said: “It is true that four people were kidnapped but I don’t know those involved yet.
“I have no information whether those abducted included a policewoman and customs official. All I know is that four people were kidnapped.”
It would be recalled that a similar incident occurred in the same area a week ago where many people were kidnapped.
Security agents kill suspected kidnapper in Ekiti
Also yesterday, a suspected kidnapper met his Waterloo as he was shot dead by combined forces of security agencies in Ekiti during a midnight shootout in a forest between Ekiti and Kwara border.
A source revealed in Ado Ekiti that the suspected abductor was killed by combined forces of soldiers, police and local security task force belonging to Fulani extraction called Yan Banga set up by Sarkin Fulani in Ekiti, Alhaji Adamu Abashe, inside a forest at Eruku, in Kwara State.
The security forces were said to have laid ambush for the kidnapping gang at the point of payment of N2.1 million ransom for an abducted man and chased them after collecting the money until they shot the suspect dead.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, paraded the kidnapper’s corpse at the police headquarters in Ado Ekiti.
Abutu said: “It was in the process of picking up the ransom of about N2 million that the security operatives, which comprised hunters, vigilantes, army and the police gave them a hot chase up to Eruku in Kwara State where one of the kidnappers was gunned down.
One AK-47 rifle with 25 live rounds of ammunition, one cutlass, two small itel phones belonging to the victims and N210,000 were recovered from the kidnappers.
Abductors of Edo school pupils demand N100m ransom
Meanwhile, the abductors of pupils of Gloryland Group of Schools in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State are reportedly demanding N100 million as ransom.
It was gathered that the abductors contacted the parents of the children for the ransom payment.
The father of the children, Kola Momodu, expressed worry over the safety of his children and appealed for their release.
It would be recalled that the pupils were kidnapped, Tuesday, by gunmen at about 5:35 pm along Igarra-Auchi Road, near Ikpeshi.
VANGUARD
