KAKAKI OKEOGUN NEWS Reports that the peratives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested two suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate allegedly responsible for the abduction and murder of two hostages in Edo State, recovering a police camouflage uniform and mobile phones believed to be connected to the criminal network.
The suspects, identified as 25-year-old Gafaru Adamu and 20-year-old Muhammed Sanni, were apprehended in the Atiba area of Ijebu-Ode following intelligence-led investigations by the Command's Anti-Kidnapping Unit.
Police authorities said preliminary findings linked the duo to a kidnapping and murder
case currently under investigation in the Okada area of Edo State.
The arrest marks a major breakthrough in an investigation that began after personnel of the Nigeria Forest Security Service apprehended two suspicious individuals in Ogun State, prompting further scrutiny by police detectives.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the Command said extensive profiling and intelligence gathering revealed that the suspects were wanted in connection with a violent kidnapping operation in Edo State.
According to the police, intelligence reports indicate that Adamu and Sanni are members of a seven-man kidnapping syndicate allegedly involved in the abduction and subsequent killing of two hostages in the neighbouring state.
"As investigation progressed, the suspects were identified as Gafaru Adamu, aged 25, and Muhammed Sanni, aged 20. Preliminary findings revealed that the suspects are wanted in connection with an ongoing investigation into a kidnapping and murder case reported in the Okada area of Edo State," the statement read.
The police disclosed that a search conducted during the investigation led to the recovery of a pair of police camouflage uniform and three mobile phones from the suspects.
The recovered items have since been documented and taken into custody as exhibits to assist investigators in unraveling the activities of the syndicate and identifying other members still at large.
The discovery of a police camouflage among the items recovered has also raised concerns about the methods allegedly employed by criminal groups to evade detection or impersonate security personnel during operations.
Police authorities, however, did not immediately disclose whether the recovered uniform had been used in any of the kidnappings under investigation.
The Ogun State Police Command noted that the offences being investigated occurred in Edo State and that, in line with inter-state policing procedures, the suspects and all recovered exhibits would be transferred to the Edo State Police Command for further investigation and possible prosecution.
"The suspects and all recovered exhibits will be transferred to the Edo State Police Command, which has primary jurisdiction over the matter, for further investigation and other necessary legal processes," the statement added.
Commending the officers involved in the operation, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, praised the professionalism and intelligence-gathering efforts that led to the arrests.
He reiterated the Command's commitment to ensuring that Ogun State does not serve as a safe haven for criminals fleeing from other parts of the country.
Sources: Sahara Reporters
