Metro

Police parade 40 suspects for kidnapping, robbery, others in Oyo

The Nigeria Police, Oyo State Command, has paraded forty two suspects for various crimes including armed robbery, kidnapping and other vices.

The suspects were arrested at different locations in the state while dangerous weapons were recovered as exhibits.

Parading the suspects before the newsmen at the State Command, Ekeyele, Ibadan at the weekend, the Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat, through the Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, said the suspects were picked up at different locations in the state.

In his breakdown, the Commissioner of Police said the arrested suspects include 33 males and 7 females while items recovered as exhibits are five cars, 20 cartridges and 8 expended cartridges

Speaking of the suspects who were arrested for kidnapping, CP Hamzat said the case was initiated through a petition.

He added that it was later discovered that the reported kidnap case was stage managed to defraud an unsuspecting victim.

The Commissioner of Police who was quoting copiously from the police report said, “the initial complainant (name withheld) stated that he boarded a taxi on 17/5/2023 from Apata to Dugbe in Ibadan and temporarily lost his memory while at it, only to regain same later that evening in the captivity of his abductors.

“He further stated that while he was in captivity of the kidnappers, the sum of Nine Million Three Hundred Thousands Naira (N9,300,000.00) was transferred from his Bank account to different beneficiaries and airtime of One Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand Naira (N125,000.00) was also bought with his account, using his Iphone 14 Promax phone.

“Based on the foregoing, detectives from the Anti-Robbery Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department immediately swung into action in a bid to apprehend beneficiaries of the purported transferred money and airtime. Hence the arrest of three suspects in Lagos State.

“Moving forward and in a rather surprising twist of events, on 19/07/2023, during an interview session with all parties involved at the State Criminal Investigation Department, the initial complainant, Olorunfemi ‘m’, voluntary withdrew his first admission only to submit on record that the whole kidnap story was a fraud masterminded by one of the suspects in Alagbado area of Lagos State.

“In furtherance of the above, and in a painstaking expansion of the investigation, two of the suspects duo, a Police Impersonator and fake Chief Superintendent of Police who plays the enforcement role for the syndicate was also apprehended.

“Sequel to these, voluntary confessions were obtained from them, leading to the arrest of other suspects whose duties were to provide phone numbers and account details of their unsuspecting victims by initiating conceited relationships and false acquaintances.

“Investigations also revealed that the principal suspect was able to get the details of his “TARGET”’ by approaching her at a boutique in Lagos under the guise of patronizing and initiating a genuine sales transaction.

“Investigation is ongoing, effort is being intensified to arrest other members of their syndicate,” the CP was quoted saying.

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