The police and operatives of the State Security Service in the Federal Capital Territory have arrested a total of 21 suspected kidnappers and 25 cultists.
While the Delta Command of the Police picked up 17 suspected kidnappers and 25 culprits from different parts of the state, the SSS in Abuja nabbed four suspects who allegedly abducted a civil servant and a businessman.
The Delta suspects were paraded before newsmen in Asaba, the state capital, on Tuesday, as a prelude to their arraignment in court for prosecution.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Yakubu Alkali, gave the names of the victims of the suspected kidnappers to include Madams Afuenya Abaja and Elizabeth Ngeligu as well as Mrs. Stella Dafinone, Mrs. Queen Ogboru and Mrs. Malechi Odozi.
Alkali said the suspected kidnappers were apprehended from different locations in the state, adding that the feat was made possible by the support of members of the public who volunteered information to the security agency.
He said the gang which abducted Queen and Odozi had demanded N400,000 and N30,000 ransom sums respectively, before the police swooped on them at a hide-out.
He identified the suspected kidnappers to include, Fedelis Ojugbale, Chinedu Oruya, Ediki Ogeraga, Julius Onoameya, Odrehohwo Egieta, Lucky Atunusha, Henry Owokpite, Favour Akpowma and Nicholas Odu.
Others, according to Delta CP are: Fidelis Ochuko, Kelvin Itejere, Kelly Ochuko Jonathan, Joseph Enakpodia, and Daniel Akeghe.
Furthermore, Alkali stated that Madams Abaja and Ngeligu were kidnapped by a12-man gang at Umukwuata in Ukwuani Local Government Area of the state.
In the Abuja arrests, the suspects were at the point of collecting the N500,000 ransom they demanded from the families of their victims when they were nabbed by SSS operatives.
The members of the kidnap gang include Ifeanyi Chukwuka, Ezebunwa Ogbonna (a.k.a Oceanic), Nkem Nna, and James Chinweikpe.
Parading the suspected kidnappers in Abuja on Tuesday, the SSS Director, FCT Command Headquarters, Mr. Mike Fubara, said they had asked for a ransom of N50m through their leader, identified as Chukwudi who was still at large, before reducing it to N.5m.
According to Fubara, investigation have shown that most kidnap cases in the FCT were perpetrated by non –residents who lodged in small hotels in the suburbs, posing as construction workers which enable them to come and go at will without the management of such hotels suspecting their activities.
While promising that the service, alongside other security operatives would do everything possible to rid the FCT of such hoodlums, Fubara appealed to members of the public to always alert security operatives on the activities of persons they suspect.
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