Speaking on Monday at a media briefing in Ado-Ekiti, Sunday Abutu, spokesman of the police command in Ekiti, said the suspects confessed to kidnapping several persons in the state.
According to the police, the suspects said they were involved in the abduction of Suleiman Akinbami, an oil dealer in Ekiti, and the attempted kidnap of Abiodun Ajayi, a traditional ruler in the state.
While narrating his experience in January 2021 after he was freed, Akinbami had said his abductors spoke Yoruba fluently.
According to the police spokesman, five locally-made guns, one Toyota Corolla car, 13 rounds of live cartridges and two locally-made double barrel guns were recovered.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to be responsible for the kidnapping of one Olowo Bolaji ‘m’ in Ipoti-Ekiti on 29/01/2020. They also confessed to have kidnapped one alhaji Suleiman Akinbami, a petrol dealer, who was kidnapped on 10/01/2021 in Ado-Ekiti,” the spokesman said.
“The suspects stated that they kidnapped one Mrs Olalusi Dapo, the wife of a former Ekiti state surveyor-general sometime this year.
“The suspect further confessed that their syndicate kidnapped late chief Abiodun Ajayi earlier this year in Ado-Ekiti who jumped from their vehicle but later died in the hospital during treatment due to the injuries he sustained.
“The suspects said they usually keep their victims in his father’s house, one late chief Bafon, located at water works, Ado-Ekiti, and sometimes move them to Ayere forest in Kogi state before demanding for ransom. They mentioned one Banji Akeem a.k.a. Oro who was earlier arrested by the RRS operatives for the offence of armed robbery and still in RRS custody.
“They also mentioned one Samuel a.k.a. Samuel Ebira, Jimoh Dele a.k.a. Dele Petim, Dayo a.k.a. Dayo Igwe and Johnson a.k.a. Yellow Okada, who are presently at large as other members of their gang. Concerted effort led to the arrest of one Taiwo Fayoke ‘f’ who confessed to being their food supplier whenever victims are held hostage.”
He said sum of N5 million reward will be given to anyone who has credible information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects at large.
“The command appreciates the good spirited members of the public as well as the various security agencies whose cooperation and support have always helped the police,” Sunday added.
