13th September, 2022
By Imelda Osayande
Operatives of the Edo Police Command on Tuesday foiled an alleged kidnap bid and arrested four suspected kidnappers while on township surveillance patrol on Ugbor road, GRA in Benin.
This is contained in a statement by ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer in Benin.
The suspects arrested include Ayo Jeremiah Obazuwa, 50; Sule Kelson Jubril, 34; Silas Uwana, 33; and Ogbonmwan Jude, 37.
Iwegbu said Obazuwa was in complete military regalia and claimed to be a military captain during his arrest.
According to her, “Operatives of Edo State Police Command, while on township surveillance patrol on 10/09/2022 along Ugbor road, GRA Benin, stopped a suspicious Toyota Corolla car with registration number USL929SS with five occupants.”
“On a closer survey of the occupants of the car, one of the suspects, who later was 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.”
During the preliminary investigation, Obazuwa confessed to being a civilian and not a military personnel, as he earlier stated.
She said Joseph Bulus stated that he was in his house when the self-acclaimed Captain came in the company of three others under the guise of giving him a job but rather handcuffed him, dragged him into the boot of the car, and whisked him away to an unknown location before he was later removed from the boot and made to sit in the car.
All four suspects have been charged in court on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony and kidnapping punishable under the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Consequently, she said the suspects had been remanded in prison custody pending the DPP’s advice.
NAN
