The proactive security measures taken by the Caretaker Chairman of Yagba West local council, Kogi State, Tosin Olokun, by adopting stakeholders’ engagement strategy has yielded fruits as Yagba West Security Joint Task Force played a significant role in the arrest of the notorious kidnap kingpin, Babaka Mairali, who has been terrorising Ekiti/Kwara/Kogi borders, Yagba West Council Media Team stated on Tuesday.
Babaka Mairali and his gang are suspected to have masterminded the killing of the Olukoro of Koro, in Ekiti Local Council, Kwara State, Oba Olusegun Aremu, during last Thursday’s attack of Koro community.
The victim, a retired army general died in the attack when the assailants forcefully entered his palace.
According to the Council’s Media Team, the Yagba West joint task force consisting of conventional security operatives, vigilantes and local hunters in conjunction with their counterparts in neighbouring Ekiti and Kwara States combined efforts leading to the arrest of the leader of the gang and freedom of the wife of the slain king, Olori Iyabo Aremu, and one other person held captive by the gang.
It was gathered that the kidnap victims were released on Monday night and arrived in Koro town around 10:45 pm.
“It was a major security success as the kidnap kingpin terrorising the borders of Yagba west Local government with Ekiti and Kwara States has been arrested and the two people that were held captive regained their freedom”, Yagba West Council Media Team stated on Tuesday.
The statement revealed that since the news of the attack broke last Friday, troops from Yagba West in conjunction with counterparts in Kwara and Ekiti had been combing the forests and finally nabbed the notorious kidnap kingpin where he had been hiding in Egbe, the commercial nerve of Yagba West Local Council on Tuesday.
“The suspect has been moved to Ilorin, Kwara State capital, he was escorted by the joint task force to Ilorin today, under the direct supervision of Yagba West Local Council Caretaker Chairman, Tosin Olokun, who travelled to Ilorin with the team. Investigations are ongoing as vital information regarding the gang’s mode of operation is unveiling from the mouths of the arrested suspects linked to several attacks carried out in that axis”, the statement added.
