Police arrest three suspected members of ‘interstate kidnap syndicate’

The police in Delta State, South-south Nigeria, have arrested three suspected members of an “interstate kidnap syndicate” in the state.

In a statement on Tuesday, the police spokesperson in the state, Bright Edafe, said members of the syndicate operate in the South-south and South-east states of Delta, Rivers, Enugu, and Imo.

Mr Edafe, a superintendent of police, identified the suspects as Idris Yakubu, 21, from Kwara State, Bello Amodu, 40, from Sokoto State, and Umar Mohammed, 38, from Kebbi State.

“The operatives followed a trail to Port Harcourt, where they arrested a syndicate member, Mr Yakubu, a 21-year-old male suspect from Kwara State, but a resident of Elelenwo area, Port Harcourt, Rivers State,” said Mr Edafe.

The police said Mr Yakubu led operatives to the arrest on Saturday of their gang leader, Mr Amodu, another resident of Elelenwo in Rivers.

Mr Amodu, the police said, is the coordinator of various syndicates within the south-south and south-east regions of the country.

The two suspects further led the police to the arrest of Mr Mohammed, 38, from Kebbi state, but a resident in the Oil Mill area of Port Harcourt.

Mr Mohammed is the head of the Enugu axis of the syndicate, according to the police.

“The suspects led operatives to a bush along Ughelli – Ozoro Road where one AK-47 rifle loaded with 23 rounds of live ammunition and a pump action with seven rounds of live cartridges were recovered,” said Mr Edafe.

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Other arrests

The police said they have also arrested other kidnapping suspects in separate operations in the state.

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Mr Edafe, operatives of the command in an intelligence-based operation, stormed a residence in Warri South Local Government Area and arrested Benjamin Benemor, a 53-year-old kidnap/cult suspect.

According to the police spokesperson, “one English Beretta pistol with magazine, one English double-barrel pump action gun, one English single-barrel gun, one locally made single-barrel gun, one locally made short double-barrel gun, one battle axe, fifteen live cartridges,” were recovered after a search was conducted at the suspect’s resident.

Kidnap-for-ransom has been on the rise in the oil-rich Delta State. The latest incident occurred less than two months after the police said they killed five suspected members of a kidnap syndicate in the state.

Mr Edafe had said the suspects were killed inside the Uwiamughe forest in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta during a shootout with the operatives.