Army Parades 26 Kidnappers and Armed Robbers in Warri
ABOUT 26 suspected criminals, who have confessed to various crimes
after they were nabbed, were, last Thursday, paraded in Warri, Delta
State. The parade was conducted by Commanding Officer of the 3rd Battalion
Nigerian Army, Effurun, Lt. Col. Ifeanyi Otu, at the army barracks.
The suspects were arrested for various offences ranging from alleged kidnapping, armed robbery, car snatching, to illegal oil refineries and possession of arms and ammunition. Acting on a tip-off on May 23, a combined team of the army and members of Sector 1, Pulo Shield, arrested a kidnap suspect, Mr Joel Agbu at Aka Avenue in Uvwie local Government Area.
The suspect was said to have earlier kidnapped one Mrs Ebi Leizou on April 29 after snatching the victim’s Toyota Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle with registration number Abuja ABC 910 AE and collected N500,000 from the victim, as well as N800,000 from the victim’s family members as ransom. The suspect was reportedly picked up while trying to sell a Nissan Primera saloon car used for the kidnapping. Items recovered from him were a mobile phone and N69,000.
Through the suspect, who said his gang of five members was based in Benin and Warri, the Army in Benin and Warri were able to arrest Mr Mene Best, Mr Jonathan Umuokoro and Mr Erere. While one member of the gang, Mr Jenkins was said to be at large with a locally-made pistol, three locally-made pistols and cartridges were recovered from the suspects.
The suspects were arrested for various offences ranging from alleged kidnapping, armed robbery, car snatching, to illegal oil refineries and possession of arms and ammunition. Acting on a tip-off on May 23, a combined team of the army and members of Sector 1, Pulo Shield, arrested a kidnap suspect, Mr Joel Agbu at Aka Avenue in Uvwie local Government Area.
The suspect was said to have earlier kidnapped one Mrs Ebi Leizou on April 29 after snatching the victim’s Toyota Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle with registration number Abuja ABC 910 AE and collected N500,000 from the victim, as well as N800,000 from the victim’s family members as ransom. The suspect was reportedly picked up while trying to sell a Nissan Primera saloon car used for the kidnapping. Items recovered from him were a mobile phone and N69,000.
Through the suspect, who said his gang of five members was based in Benin and Warri, the Army in Benin and Warri were able to arrest Mr Mene Best, Mr Jonathan Umuokoro and Mr Erere. While one member of the gang, Mr Jenkins was said to be at large with a locally-made pistol, three locally-made pistols and cartridges were recovered from the suspects.
The suspects, according to Lt. Col. Otu, were members of a kidnap syndicate led by one notorious Kelvin, who is still being wanted by law enforcement agents.
He added that five other kidnap suspects, who had connection with Kelvin, were also nabbed in Kokori, giving their names as Mr Anthony Eghagha, Mr Tuwere Destiny, Mr Paradise Stephen, Mr Joshua Oyovo and Oviri Rest. They were picked up at one Chief Ohwigbo’s Compound at Kokori, allegedly holding a nocturnal meeting, with seven handsets found in their possession.
Meanwhile, two armed robbery suspects, who were nabbed on May 24, by the newly inaugurated Quick Response Squad, while on routine patrol, included Mr Ovoke Odite and Mr Avehega Emudade at Single Hole Road, Abraka in Ethiope East LGA.
The suspects, who had allegedly carried out series of armed robberies, confessed to the crime while one double-barrel gun and two live cartridges were recovered from them. Among the paraded suspects were three females, one of them pregnant and another clutching a baby. Two of the women were allegedly caught last weekend in the very act of loading canoes with drums of locally-refined diesel at Warri River for onward transportation to Warri while the third female, Mrs Grace Kejiba, was nabbed with one Mr Silvanus Udeh, on Wednesday, along Jeddo, Uvwie Local Government Area, allegedly escorting a bus carrying illegally refined diesel to an undisclosed destination.
While Mr Udeh confessed to be the owner of the bus and an oil thief, Mrs Kejiba denied being part of the business, claiming she was given a lift by Mr Udeh.
Lt. Col. Otu, who promised to conclude all investigations and hand over the suspects to the relevant authorities.
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