September 13, 2022

The Police in Edo on Tuesday said their men foiled an alleged kidnap bid, arrested four suspected kidnappers while on township surveillance patrol on Ugbor road at GRA in Benin.

This is contained in a statement by ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer in Benin.

Iwegbu the suspects were Ayo Jeremiah Obazuwa, 50, Sule Kelson Jubril, 34, Silas Uwana, 33, and Ogbonmwan Jude, 37.

She said Obazuwa was in complete military regalia and claimed to be a military captain during his arrest.

According to her, “Operatives of Edo State Police Command while on township surveillance patrol on 10/09/2022 along Ugbor road, GRA Benin, stopped a suspicious Toyota Corolla car with Reg. no USL929SS with five occupants.

“On a closer survey of the occupants of the car, one of the suspects who later was identified as Ayo Jeremiah Obazuwa, was on complete military regalia and claimed to be a captain.

“Another occupant who was later identified as Joseph Bulus , 32, was seen in handcuffs, which led to all the occupants being brought to State CID for further investigation.”

Iwegbu said during the preliminary investigations, Obazuwa confessed to being a civilian and not military personnel as he earlier stated.

She said Joseph Bulus stated that he was in his house when the self-acclaimed Captain came in the company of three others under the guise of giving him a job but rather handcuffed him, dragged him into the boot of the car and whisked him away to an unknown location, before he was later removed from the boot and made to sit in the car.

Iwegbu, however, said the case had been charged to court on Monday under a six-count charge bordering on Conspiracy to commit felony and kidnapping punishable under the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Consequently she said the suspects had been remanded in prison custody pending DPP’s advice.(NAN)