Police rescue kidnap victim, arrest four suspects in Edo

Police rescue kidnap victim, arrest four suspects in Edo

The police in Edo State on Tuesday said they foiled an attempt to abduct a resident and arrested four suspected kidnappers, while on a surveillance patrol along Ugbor Road, Benin City.

The police spokesperson in the state, Jennifer Iwegbu, disclosed this in a statement in Benin City.

Ms Iwegbu, an assistant superintendent of police, identified the suspects as Ayo Obazuwa, 50, Sule Jubril, 34, Silas Uwana, 33, and Ogbonmwan Jude, 37.

She said one of the suspects, Mr Obazuwa, wore a military uniform and claimed to be a captain in the Nigerian Army.

The police operatives arrested the suspects when they stopped a suspicious Toyota Corolla car with registration number USL929SS, with people inside the vehicle, Ms Iwegbu said.

“On a closer survey of the occupants of the car, one of the suspects, who was later identified as Ayo Jeremiah Obazuwa, was in complete military regalia and claimed to be a captain.

“Another occupant, who was later identified as Joseph Bulus, 32, was seen in handcuffs, which led to all the occupants being brought to State CID for further investigation.”

Ms Iwegbu said during the preliminary investigations, Obazuwa confessed to being a civilian and not military personnel.

She said Mr Bulus, in his statement, claimed the man who wore the military uniform came to his house with the other three under the guise of wanting to offer him a job, they handcuffed him, threw him into the boot of the car and drove him away to an unknown location. He said they later removed him from the boot and made him sit inside the car with cuffs in his hands.

The police spokesperson said the suspects were charged to court on Monday under a six-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony and kidnapping.

The suspects have been remanded in prison, she added.