The Ekiti State Police Command and the Department of State Service have arrested a self acclaimed Pastor, Mr Babatunde Balogun, two women and 10 others in connection with kidnapping in the state.
The security agencies also declared two siblings: Kenneth and Jonathan Ozoh, as well as one Kehinde Adeleye and Sunday Ogunleye as part of the suspected kidnap syndicates terrorising Ekiti residents in the last three months.
The quartet were accused of being behind the kidnap of a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Dr Femi Omisore, a priest with Ekiti Catholic Diocese, Rev Father Emmanuel Akingbade, among other victims that were recently kidnapped within the State .
Specifically, Balogun was accused of giving spiritual counseling to the suspects and sharing from the proceeds of the kidnappings.
While parading the suspects in Ado Ekiti on Monday, an event attended by Governor Ayodele Fayose, the DSS State Director, Mr Duke Fubara and the Police Commissioner, Mr Etop James, said the suspects in statements made had confessed about their involvements in the crime.
Fubara added that, one Gbenga David, a.k.a Oruma, who was accosted by his men in Osun State during investigation and shot while making efforts to escape was receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
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He said the efforts became fruitful, following synergy between the DSS and the police to rid the State of crimes and miscreants.
Fubara said, “We could all attest to the fact that the kidnappers terrorised the State from the first week of May this year. Their activities brought a lot of trauma to the people.
“Though, some of the victims have been released, but we did not give in. We did investigation and we increased our network and the result is what you are seeing today.
“What we found with the composition of these suspects was that some of them were members of the inmates that escaped during the November 30, 2014 jailbreak in Ekiti.”
Also speaking, the CP said the anti-kidnapping Squad of the Command was working round the clock to prevent resurgence of kidnapping in the State.
Fayose appealed to opposition to stop politicising kidnapping and other criminal acts, saying “It is a collective fight. We have to fight this together, so that all of us can sleep with two eyes closed.”
The Governor, who lauded the security agencies’ efforts lamented that Ekiti had been in turmoil since last year’s jailbreak in Ado Ekiti, urging the security operatives to step up efforts on the need to bring the escapees back to prison.
“Ekiti has been under great torment since last year’s jailbreak incident. But we want you to beam your searchlights on the neighbouring States like Delta, Osun and Ondo States because we had the trace that people used to come from outside to train our people here in kidnapping and make use of them.
“If you study this very well, you will understand that the networks have been widened and we have to do everything to break it,” Fayose added.
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