The Ekiti State Police Command has apprehended eight members of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for the abduction of school children and their teachers in Emure Ekiti. Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the command’s spokesperson, Sunday Abutu, credited the success to the diligent efforts of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS). Abutu disclosed that during the operation to apprehend the kidnappers, an exchange of gunfire ensued, resulting in the death of one suspect. Among the items recovered from the suspects were an AK 47 assorted rifle, a pump-action gun loaded with five live cartridges, twenty-one AK 47 live ammunition, and expended shells of AK-47 ammunition.
According to Abutu, the breakthrough came after receiving credible information on February 8, 2024, about armed individuals planning to kidnap expatriates in a farmland at Eda-Oniyo-Ekiti. Subsequently, the RRS operatives arrested Abubakar Aliyu, who was spying on the expatriates’ location. Following Aliyu’s arrest, the gang leader, Sumo Karami, dispatched two vigilante members to secure his release, leading to their apprehension. Mohammed Bashiru, the leader of Miyetti Allah vigilante in Oro-Ago, Kwara State, was also arrested for his involvement.
Further investigations revealed that Sumo Karami and his gang members were responsible for the Emure-Ekiti kidnapping incident on January 29, 2024. The police recovered the phone used for ransom demands and arrested additional gang members, including Kenneth Ugwu in Ibadan, Oyo State, on February 14. Ugwu confessed to his involvement in the Emure-Ekiti kidnapping and led the police to the gang’s hideout in Agric Reserved Forest. During a confrontation, one gang member was neutralized, another captured, and the remaining members fled.
The syndicate was also linked to other criminal activities, including the kidnapping of the APC chairman of Ekiti State, Paul Omotosho, and Mr. and Mrs. Awoniyi. The police recovered various items, including face masks, hand gloves, handsets, and identification cards, during the operation.
Abutu reiterated the police’s commitment to combatting crime in the state, particularly kidnapping incidents, and emphasized the importance of thorough investigations and operations to bring criminals to justice.
