Oyo state police Command has paraded 16 members of bandits arrested in connection with the abduction of two officials of West African Examination Council WAEC and perpetrating other criminal activities along Kishi-Igboho-Igbeti axis in the state.
Three major suspects namely Mohammed kote, Mohammed legi and Kire Baguda with 13 others were said to have been arrested in their hideouts along Kishi-Igboho road and Inside Old Oyo National Park.
The kidnapped WAEC officials were said to have regained freedom and reunited with their families.
State commissioner of Police Abiodun Odude PSC while parading the suspect at the command’s headquarter in Eleyele Ibadan said “ The hoodlums numbering about 25 who are mainly herdsmen recruited by one Kire, a notorious armed kingpin (reported to have come from zamfara, now at Large )” were responsible for the death of some of their victims while other victims were kept in their seemingly impregnable fotress of the Old Oyo National Park for some days before being freed after collecting huge ransom from their distraught and helpless family members .”
“The suspects were arrested in their hideouts by command’s Special Anti Robbery Squad in Collaboration with the local vigilante group between March 7th and 17th 2018”
“The suspect confessed to the various heinous crime perpetrated in the areas.”
“The suspects and thirteen others arrested along with them are currently assisting us in our investigation with a view to arresting other members of the gang currently at large and recover other sophisticated weapon still in their armory.”
Items recovered from them include 4 locally made single barrel guns, three cutlass, seven mobile phones, N67,420 and a Bajaj Boxer motorcycle with registration number 607.WZ were belonging to one of the abducted victim were recovered during the clampdown operation that lasted for days .
Mohammed Kote one of the prime suspect who spoke with journalists said their gang leader simply identified as Kire came from Zamfara with some members of the bandits and introduced them into robbery and kidnapping
He said further that kIre and other people escaped after they realize that the police and vigilante group and trailing their group.
