Police arrest five suspected kidnappers in Ekiti

Five alleged kidnappers were detained by the Ekiti State police on Tuesday during a bush combing operation, according to reports.

The operation was a reaction to two bandit raids that took place in Ekiti on Monday, which claimed the lives of two monarchs and abducted schoolchildren, a bus driver, and teachers.

Five people were taken into custody in the forest during a bush combing operation, according to a statement released on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Office of the Ekiti State Police Command, Sunday Abutu.

“In a bid to flush criminal elements, especially kidnappers, out of the state, a combined team of the police, NSCDC, Amotekun, O.P.C and local hunters embarked on a bush combing operation through Oke-Osun, Ikere/Igbo-Okah to the thick forest around Iju/Ikere boundary.

“During the operation, five suspected kidnappers, namely Usman Jelili, Mohammed Banded, Abubakar Aliu, Isah Abdullahi and Suleiman Abdulahi were arrested,” the statement read.

According to Mr. Abutu, during questioning the suspects claimed to be herdsmen, but it was later established that none of them had any animals, and no cattle were discovered in the area where they were detained.

He mentioned that they had discovered two motorcycles, a cutlass, a jack knife/dagger, and four phones among the things they had found in the jungle.

Mr. Abutu did not, however, reveal if any of the suspects were connected to the two kidnapping incidents that happened on Monday in various parts of Ekiti State.

Source