The Ekiti State Police Command has placed N5 million as reward for genuine information on the whereabouts of four suspects over alleged kidnapping in the state.
ASP Sunday Abutu, the command’s spokesperson in a statement on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti, gave the names of the fleeing suspects as Banji Akeem, Samuel Ebira, Dele Jimoh and Dayo Igwe.
Abutu said the four now at large were mentioned as gang members by other arrested suspects currently in police custody.
According to him, the suspects were involved in the abduction of prominent Ekiti citizens in the last two years.
“The suspects already arrested mentioned one Banji Akeem a.k.a Oro, who was earlier arrested by the RRS operatives for the offence of armed robbery.
“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,” he said.
Abutu, said the suspects were arrested through the relentless efforts of the men of the command.
According to him, the arrested suspects had confessed that they had been involved in various kidnappings in the state.
“They confirmed to be the brain behind the abduction of one Olowo Bola of Ipoti-Ekiti and the late Chief Abiodun Ajayi, who died from the injuries sustained while he jumped from the kidnappers vehicle, earlier this year, in Ado Ekiti,” he said.
The PPRO explained that the suspects usually kept their victims in the house of late Chief Ogunremi, located around Water Works in Ado-Ekiti or sometimes Ayere, a forest in Kogi.
He listed Items recovered from the suspects to include, one Toyota Corolla car, 13 rounds of live cartridges and two locally made double-barrel guns.
Abutu said that efforts were on to arrest other members of the gang who were at large, hence the N5 million reward for useful information that could lead to their arrest.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the command had on Monday paraded four suspected abductors of a petroleum dealer in Ekiti, Alhaji Suleiman Akinbami and wife of late Surveyor-General of the state, Mrs. Dapo Osalusi.
The suspects was also alleged to have also kidnapped another victim, Olowo Bolaji in Ipoti-Ekiti, Ijero Local Government Area of the state.
Abutu while parading the suspects said they were arrested by a team of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the command.
He said the suspects included the food supplier to the alleged kidnappers and a vulcaniser, who was their informant.
The command thanked residents who provided the information that led to the initial arrests, promising not to relent in ridding the state of crime.
“The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Unit of the Police Command in Ekiti has continued its raid and war against kidnapping with another breakthrough recorded in the arrest and parade of four suspected kidnappers.
“They were apprehended in connection with the abduction of a petroleum dealer, Alhaji Suleiman Akinbami in Ado-Ekiti on Jan. 10.
“The suspects during interrogations confessed to have actively participated in the abduction of the wife of former Ekiti State Surveyor-General, Mrs. Dapo Osalusi and another victim, Olowo Bolaji in Ipoti-Ekiti, Ijero Local Government Area of the state,” Abutu explained.