The Oyo State Police Command has arrested 33 suspected kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminals including members of various kidnapping gangs terrorising motorists on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, who briefed some journalists on Thursday said those who operated at the Onigari section of the expressway were some of the arrested suspects
The CP said the arrests came after reports and intelligence gathering embarked upon by operatives who swiftly swung into action and nabbed the suspects.
Onadeko said, “Owing to the rising cases of kidnapping along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the ugly incident of a case of kidnapping/ murder that happened at Onigari section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on the 07/01/2022, the Oyo State Police Command immediately swung into action through the swift deployment of intelligence and tactical assets.
“These led to the arrest of one Bashiru Abubakar ‘m’ alias Maku-Maku, a member of the syndicate of the kidnapping gang terrorizing Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, on 14/1/2021 at about 1530hrs.
“During interrogation, the arrested suspects mentioned one Babuga Umaru ‘m’ one Bellel ‘m’ one Ibrahim ‘m’ one Buyo ‘m’ one Habu Kosoko ‘m’ one alias Ontop one Danliti, surnames yet unknown and now at large, that carried out the kidnapping operations that caused the death of one Oluwatosin Anwajoye ‘m’ aged 45yrs at Onigari area of Lagos/Ibadan expressway on the 07/01/2022.
“He confessed that, he used his motorcycle to convey one Bellel ‘m’ and one Ibrahim ‘m’ on 06/01/2022 at about 2000hrs and they arrive in the bush at Onigari area of Ibadan-Lagos Expressway before they struck on the 07/01/2022.
“He also confessed that he was the person that supplied the syndicate foods and hard drugs while they were in the forest.
“Preliminary investigation of all the suspects arrested so far in the case revealed that they all have knowledge of the kidnapping operations that took place on the 07/01/2022 and the forensic analysis of their phone numbers linked them up with the crime and there is nexus between them and the suspects at large.”
The commissioner of police also said members of a separate gang of kidnappers operating on the same road were also arrested by men of the command in their bit to rid the expressway of hoodlums.
She gave the names of the suspects as Tambaya Usman Shehu ‘m’ age 27years, Aliyu Umaru ‘m’ aged 20, Isiaka Ibrahim ‘m’ aged 28.
She said, “This is another kidnap syndicate operating along the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway. The proactive measure adopted by the State Command to flush out and abate kidnapping in the state and painstaking effort led to the arrest of one Aliyu Umaru ‘m’ and one Isiaka Ibrahim ‘m’ .
“Upon interrogation of the duo led to the arrest of one Tambaya Usman Shehu ‘m’ at his hideout at Akimbola area of Bodija Ibadan on 27/1/2021 at about 0230hrs who also belong to another syndicate of the kidnapping gang terrorizing Ibadan-Lagos expressway.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to be a kidnapper and that the roles they played in two different kidnapping and armed robbery operation along Ibadan-Lagos Highway. One Tambaya Usman Shehu ‘m’ confessed that in one of the kidnappings; His syndicate collected a ransom of three million, five hundred thousand naira.
“He also mentioned his syndicate members who are presently on the run, while the duo of Isiaka Ibrahim ‘m’ and Aliyu Umaru ‘m’ were arrested with two Bajaj Boxer motorcycles with reg. number: SHK 300 QL and LND 715 QM respectively bought purposely for kidnapping and have been used by the syndicate for their kidnapping activities.
“They both confessed to the crime and admitted they carried out kidnapping on Ibadan-Lagos Expressway with the first suspect one Tambaya Usman Shehu ‘m’. The victims one Olaleyele Folahan ‘m’ and one Sakinat Tiamiyu ‘m’ have identified Tambaya Usman Shehu ‘m’ to be part of those that kidnapped them.”