Police arrest four suspected kidnappers and Islamic teacher in Edo

Edo police have paraded four suspected kidnappers and a 52-year-old Islamic teacher accused of preparing charms for them, following arrests linked to attacks in the state’s northern senatorial district.

The suspects were presented at the Edo State Police Command on Tuesday. Commissioner of Police Patrick Daor said the alleged kidnappers had terrorised residents around Auchi, Jattu and Okpella before officers arrested them in Niger State through intelligence-led operations.

The Islamic teacher, Jubril Ibrahim, denied preparing charms for the suspects. Speaking through an interpreter, he said he taught the Qur’an and had prayed for one suspect after the man’s mother asked him to pray for her son’s safe travels. Ibrahim acknowledged that he knew the suspect had an AK-47 rifle.

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I gather Almajiri and teach them the Qur’an. So, Ahmadu Suleiman’s mother came to me and said I should be praying for her son, that he travels a lot, so I should pray for his safe trip to and from, and that is what I have been doing. I pray for him to have a safe trip.

The 24-year-old suspect, Ahmadu Suleiman, said he had taken part in one kidnapping operation in Auchi and had worked with various kidnapping syndicates across Nigeria before returning to Niger State. He described how gunmen allegedly forced residents from their homes and took them into the bush before demanding money. He said he received one million naira from the Auchi operation.

Police also paraded a 21-year-old suspect accused of stealing a baby in Benin and displayed a recovered stolen car. Police spokesperson Eno Ikoedem attributed the arrests to intelligence gathered by the command and urged residents to provide credible information.

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When we get to the community, we look for a beautiful house and shoot into the air, and in the process of scampering for their lives, they run out, and we hold them and take them to the bush, and demand for money.