7th June, 2011
The Delta State Police Command says it has arrested a pastor and 18 others for alleged kidnapping, armed robbery, impersonation and vandalism of PHCN cables in the state.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Tsafe, paraded the suspects before newsmen on Monday in Asaba.
He said the police recovered N3.8 million that was supposed to be used to pay ransom to the kidnapping suspects.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police paraded nine kidnapping suspects, seven cable vandals, two robbery suspects and one impersonation suspect.
According to Tsafe, two men, a pastor of a pentecostal church at Ughelli in Delta and another, a Cameroonian was arrested for kidnapping a three year old child on June 1.
“The Ughelli patrol team working in synergy with the local vigilance group traced the suspects to their hideout and rescued the victim from the Pastor’s residence unhurt.
“The suspects demanded N4 million.
“The command also arrested another five-man kidnapping gang and rescued their victim, one Mrs. Toyin Oritesjafor of Sapele and recovered the sum of N1.3 million cash, one AK 47 and 85 rounds of ammunition,†he said.
The commissioner of police said another two-man kidnapping gang was also arrested at Oleh in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta for kidnapping one Emmanuel Omobhode, a six-year-old, residing at Sariki Street, Kaduna.
He said the suspects were trailed when they arrived from Kaduna to collect N2.5 million ransom from their victim’s mother at Oleh in the state.
“One of the suspects was arrested when he went to collect the sum of N2.5 million. His confession led to the rescue of the child, who was in the custody of the other at Oleh.
“The boy was rescued unhurt and the money recovered from the suspects,†he said.
Tsafe also paraded another seven-member gang, including a woman for vandalising PHCN’s cables at Issele-Uku in Aniocha Local Government Area of the state.
He said that four of the arrested suspects were involved in the vandalism of the cables in Issele-Uku and its environs while the female member and other two received the stolen materials.
The commissioner said that two suspects were arrested for terrorising and robbing students at one of the hostels at the state’s university in Abraka, while another man was arrested at Obiaruku for impersonating the army.
He said that efforts were on to arrest the fleeing members of the gang, adding that the suspects were assisting the Criminal Investigation Department in their investigation.
Tsafe said that all the suspects would soon be charged to court.
