Police arrest 27 alleged kidnapping and robbery suspects

Police in Lokoja have arrested 27 persons for alleged kidnapping and armed robbery in different parts of the state.

The Kogi State Police Commissioner, Mr Yakubu Usman, paraded the suspects before newsmen on Friday in Lokoja.

Usman said that one of them led his gang to kidnap a Chinese lady, Lilly Yunpin, and collected N3 million ransom.

He said that the ring leader ran out of luck when he was eventually arrested while in the process of kidnapping another person.

He said that six other members of the gang were still at large.

The commissioner said that another suspect, who led others to kidnap and killed their victim, was arrested in one hotel at Idah on March 2.

Usman said that the 25-year old suspect and his gang members killed their victim after collecting N2.5 million ransom.

He said the gang went back to kill the father of the victim, Alhaji Mohammed Yusuff, in retaliation of his arrest by police.

According to him a gang of three suspected kidnappers on March 13 kidnapped Mr Lawrence Madaki at Ayangba after which they collected N3 million as ransom.

He said that the five suspects had confessed to the crime

The police commissioner said that his men were also able to rescue four other victims, including a seven-year-old boy while four robbery suspects were killed on March 2 along Ayangba-Itobe road.

Usman said that two vehicles, AK-47 guns, five locally made pistols, live cartridges and other dangerous weapons were recovered from the suspects.

He said that all of them would be charged to court soon.