Metro
Nigerian Police Parade Eight Suspected Kidnappers Behind Abduction Of Ekiti School Pupils
The state police spokesperson, Sunday Abutu in a statement on Friday said the command had apprehended some of the suspects allegedly involved in the incident.
The Nigerian Police Force, Ekiti State Command, has confirmed the arrest of eight notorious kidnappers responsible for the abduction of school children in the Emure Local Government Area of the state.
SaharaReporters had reported that the bandits abducted some pupils, a head teacher and a driver of Apostolic Faith School in Emure, Ekiti.
According to the video seen by SaharaReporters, sources said the children were kidnapped after school hours on their way to Eporo Ekiti in their school bus.
The state police spokesperson, Sunday Abutu in a statement on Friday said the command had apprehended some of the suspects allegedly involved in the incident.
He explained that the syndicate were responsible for various kidnapping in the state, adding that one of the suspects was killed during a gun battle with policemen.
He also affirmed that the group were behind the abduction of the All Progressives Congress Chairman, Mr Paul Omotosho in the state in the year 2023.
The statement reads in part; “On 8/02/2024 at about 1300hrs, the Command Rapid Response Squad (RRS) received a credible tip-off that a gang of armed men has invaded a farmland at Eda-Oniyo-Ekiti and were planning to kidnap some Expatriates in Dairy Farmland, Ikun-Ekiti.
“Upon receipt of the information, a team of RRS operatives swung into action and arrested one ABUBAKAR ALIYU a.k.a SMALLIE who was on a mission to spy on the actual location of the Expatriates.
After the arrest of Abubakar Aliyu a.k.a SMALLIE, the leader of the kidnapping gang identified as one Sumo Karami sent two (2) vigilante members, one Saliu Ibrahim and Umaru Saliu, to secure the bail of the arrested gang member from Police custody.
“The two (2) 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, Mohammed Bashiru revealed that he is a relative of Sumo Karami who is a leader of a dreaded kidnapping gang and that Abubakar Aliyu a.k.a SMALLIE is one his gang members who have been terrorizing and kidnapping innocent citizens with AK47 rifles and other dangerous weapons.
“Initial investigation 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.
“Meanwhile, the phone used to demand for ransom for the release of the Pupils and the Teachers was recovered from the suspects and effort intensified led to the arrest of two (2) among the gang members, namely: Yahaya Jubril and Usman Garba in Owo forest, Ondo State.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of one Kenneth Ugwu in Ibadan, Oyo State, on 14/02/2024. The suspect, during interrogation, confessed to be a member of a kidnapping syndicate who kidnapped 5 Pupils, three (3) teachers and a driver in Emure-Ekiti who was allegedly killed by the kidnappers. The suspect led a team of RRS operatives to the kidnapper’s hideout inside Agric Reserved Forest between Ise-Ekiti/Emure-Ekiti.
“On sighting the Police, the armed hoodlums engaged the team in a gun duel. In the process, one of the gang members who was later identified as AYUBA was neutralized, one Abubakar Mohammed a.k.a Smallie was captured alive while other gang members escaped through the forest.
“Investigation revealed that the syndicate was responsible for the kidnapping of one Paul Omotosho, the APC Chairman, Ekiti State, along Agbado/Imesi, Ekiti road on 08/07/2023, the kidnapping of Mr. and Mrs. Awoniyi along Ikere/Itaogbolu road in the month of January this year and the kidnapping of teachers and pupils of Apostolic Faith Secondary School, Emure-Ekiti on 29th January, 2024.
“EXHIBITS RECOVERED: One (1) AK 47 assorted rifle; One(1) pump action gun loaded with five (5) lives cartridges; Twenty-one (21) AK47 live ammunition;Expended shells of AK-47 ammunition; One (1) face-mask; One (1) Nose mask; Two (2) pairs of hand glove; Twenty (20) different handsets; One (1) National ID Card bearing Salisu Mohammed; Two (2) MTN sim card; One (1) airtel sim card.”
“I wish to reiterate that under my leadership, Ekiti State will be made hot and unbearable for all criminal elements as I have ordered a vigorous, constant and sustained bush combing operations as well as raiding of black spots across the State.
“Citizens are therefore implored to support and cooperate with the Police by supplying timely and credible information that could lead to the arrest of criminal suspects in the State,” the statement added.
The Lagos State Police Command has rescued six children from a building within an estate in the Ejigbo area of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to newsmen on Saturday in Lagos.
He said that on Tuesday at about 12p.m., the police received information that six children were staying alone in a building.
‘The case was transferred from the Ejigbo Police Station to the Gender Unit in Ikeja after reports indicated that the children were left alone in a residential house.
“The children, aged between seven and 13 years, have been rescued and are currently in a protective shelter through the Ministry of Youth and Social Development,’ he said.
Hundeyin said initial findings revealed that their mother was currently abroad for medical treatment and had left them in the care of a caregiver.
The spokesperson added that efforts were underway to contact their mother, and investigations were ongoing to gather more details about the case.
NAN
An MTN booster station at the University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State was reportedly engulfed in flames on Saturday.
The fire, attributed to an electrical surge, erupted within the Faculty of Nursing.
According to reports, the incident took place in the early morning hours, around 4 a.m., and resulted in significant damage to the Mikano electrical generator, the control board, and other telecommunications devices at the booster station.
The state capital, Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform to Governor Seyi Makinde, and Chairman of the State Fire Services Agency, Moroof Akinwande confirmed the incident.
He said, “The state Fire Service’s prompt response doused the fire at the MTN booster station beside the Faculty of Nursing, University of Ibadan.
“The fire personnel, led by ACFS Olubunmi, were promptly deployed to the scene and arrived on time.
“On arrival, we met the Mikano electrical generator and board on fire. We quickly joined hands with the university’s fire marshals, and the fire was extinguished completely. The fire was caused by an electrical surge”, he explained.
Heavily armed gunmen reportedly stormed Elyon Paradise Ministry Church, shooting Pastor Divine Omodia and abducting six members of the congregation in Asagba Ogwashi, near Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic, Aniocha south local government area of Delta State.
The attack, which took place on February 21, 2025, at approximately 10:30pm., saw the assailants round up the church premises before shooting the pastor and severing two of his fingers, causing severe blood loss.
One of the Pastors, Pastor Steve Victor Onuchukwu, who spoke revealed that since the attack, the kidnappers have not contacted the church or the victims’ families to demand ransom.
“The matter has been reported to the police, but so far, no tangible results have been achieved,” Onuchukwu stated.
“One security agency assured me they are working around the clock to secure the victims’ release, but we have no concrete updates yet.”
Concerns continue to mount over Pastor Omodia’s condition, as he remains in critical care at an undisclosed hospital.
According to Onuchukwu, medical personnel are making efforts to stabilize him.
“We rushed him to the hospital immediately, and he is currently in the operating theatre, where doctors are doing everything possible to save his life,” he said.
Meanwhile, when contacted for a statement, Delta State Police Command spokesperson Bright Edafe claimed no official report of the incident had been made to law enforcement.
“I am not aware of any such report because nobody has informed us about it,” Edafe stated.
The attack has heightened concerns over security in the region, with residents and church members demanding swift action to locate the kidnapped victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
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