Ekiti State Police Command has successfully apprehended some of the suspects allegedly involved in the abduction of school children of the Apostolic Faith School in Emure, Emure Local Government Area of the State.
The students and their teachers were kidnapped on Monday, January 29 and they regained their freedom on Sunday, February 4, 2024. Unfortunately, the driver of the bus was reportedly killed by the kidnappers. .
One of the suspects was killed during a gun battle with policemen while eight of them were paraded yesterday by the Ekiti State Police Command.
While parading the suspects, the Public Relations Officer of Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Abutu Sunday, said the police mobilised and arrested one Abubakar Aliyu following intelligence reports that some expatriates were about to be kidnapped at a dairy farm at Ikun Ekiti, .
Aliyu was said to be out to spy on the location of the expatriates before the kidnapping would be carried out.
The police spokesman said that the mobile phone used to demand ransom for the release of the students and their teachers was recovered.
Police IG. Egbetokun
The PPRO explained further: “After the arrest of Abubakar Aliyu, the leader of the kidnapping gang, identified as one Sumo Karami, sent two vigilante members, one Saliu Ibrahim, and one Umaru Saliu, to secure the bail of the arrested gang member from police custody.
“The two vigilante members were arrested, and they led the RRS operatives to Oro-Ago town, where one Mohammed Bashiru, the leader of Miyetti Allah vigilante in Oro-Ago, Kwara State, was arrested.
“During interrogation, Bashiru revealed that he is a relative of Sumo Karami, who is the leader of a dreaded kidnapping gang, and that Abubakar Aliyu is one of his gang members who have been terrorising and kidnapping innocent citizens with AK47 rifles and other dangerous weapons.
“Initial investigations revealed that Sumo Karami and his gang members were responsible for the kidnapping of the pupils and their teachers in Emure-Ekiti on 29th January 2024.
“Effort also led to the arrest of two other gang members, namely: Yahaya Jubril and Usman Garba in Owo forest, Ondo State.”