31st January, 2012
The State Security Service (SSS) in Edo state today paraded 11 suspected kidnappers including two ladies.
One of them identified as Queen claimed that a wanted suspected kidnapper’s phone number was found on her handset and the other lady called Dorris claimed that she was arrested because her sim card was used by suspected kidnappers to call families of their victims.
Parading the suspects before newsmen and the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, the state director of the SSS, Bakori Tukur said a cut to size gun and live ammunition were also recovered from of them.
He said a suspected cultist among them confessed that he belonged to the Eiye Confraternity. Governor Oshiomhole said the state government would give some financial reward to the officers who carried out the operation to encourage them.
He however cautioned parents and guardians to monitor house-helps and workers as it has been discovered that some victims of kidnap were betrayed by their wards.
“We appreciate the efforts of your men, we appreciate the risks involved and the efforts you have put in to check these criminals and take them out of business. We encourage them to sustain the tempo until we completely mop up these criminals from our society.
“Nobody goes to kidnap and you think you can go home and rest. Sooner or later the law will catch up with the person. We have demonstrated that we have the capacity to apprehend these characters wherever they are and they cannot escape from justice.
“We are going to make them go through the judicial process. Through the Ministry of Justice we will ensure diligent prosecution of these persons so that they can be brought for justice. I appeal to our young people not to look for short cut. Hard work has no substitute. There are still lots of opportunities for hard working people who want to work,” the governor said.
—Yomi Obaditan/ Benin City