The Nigerian Police, Kwara State Command, on Tuesday, paraded six kidnap suspects, five suspected electricity cable thieves and two motorcycle thieves in Ilorin , the state capital.

Speaking, the state Commissioner of Police, Ebunoluwarotimi Adelesi, identified collaboration between indigenes and kidnap suspects as one of the major reasons for cases of kidnapping in the state, saying some bad elements in Kwara South senatorial district, particularly, connived with criminally-minded herders to terrorise the area.

The Police boss, who called for collaborative efforts among indigenes and non-indigenes of affected areas of the state to nib kidnapping in the bud, said that the officers and men of the Command would embark on fortnight consultative meetings in different communities in the state to address security concerns with residents.

Adelesi also expressed concern over the attitude of some indigenes of the affected areas, who she said refused to come out to identify suspected kidnappers whenever they were arrested, saying that arresting kidnapping and masterminds required collaboration of all stakeholders.

The six suspected kidnappers that were paraded for criminal conspiracy and kidnapping include; HARUNA NUHU ‘Male’ AGE 28 YEARS, UMARU SHEHU ‘Male’ AGE 25 YEARS, MAAZU MESAJE ‘Male’ AGE 35 YEARS, SAANI MASAJE ‘Male’ AGE 21 YEARS, MOHAMMED USMAN ‘Male’ 20 YEARS and BUBA OKEODE ‘Male’.

The suspected kidnappers, who allegedly killed their victims, KAYODE MUSA and ABUBAKAR HARUNA AKA MUSLIM and AJIDE ABIODUN OLAOLUWA, were arrested with exhibits such as; five cutlasses, criminal charms, different phones, one locally made iron pistol with two live ammunition , and one expended ammunition of a revolver pistol..

“On Thursday, July 13, 2023, at approximately 1700HRS, one Abubakar Haruna AKA Muslim and one Kayode Musa ‘Male’ were driving from Oke-Onigbin to Isanlu-Isin in a Toyota Camry, when a group of armed men suspected to be Bororo Fulani emerged from the bush and abducted them and disappeared into the bush.

“While effort to rescue the victims were in progress, On 21/7/2023, at about 0630hrs, a team of police officers, local vigilantes, and hunters already on search of the victims were met with hails of gunshots, in a bid to escape being captured, the suspects shot and killed their two victims and escaped into the bush, some of them with bullet injuries while Ajide Abiodun Olaoluwa one of the victims was rescued alive.

“In furtherance of the effort by the police to get the kidnappers arrested, the police, hunters and vigilante stormed the forests between Ijara-Isin and Isanlu-Isin where intelligence revealed that the kidnappers were hiding and got the above suspects arrested with their weapons”.

Also paraded were five suspects arrested for criminal conspiracy and theft of electricity cables, namely; AWOKUNLE GIDEON ‘Male’ AGE 23 YEARS, YAHUSA BASHIRU ‘Male’ AGE 22 YEARS, NUHU ALLI ‘Male’ AGE 20 YEARS, USMAN YAHAYA ‘Male’ AGE 20 YEARS and ALIYU IBRAHEEM ‘Male’ AGE 20 YEARS.

They were reportedly arrested with bunches of cables.

“On July 24, 2023, at around 0430hrs, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad got an intelligence that a man was transporting bundles of cable wires along Tanke Area Ilorin. A team of police was dispatched to the scene and one Awokunle Gideon ‘Male’ was arrested with bunches of stolen NEPA cables. Investigation led to the arrest of his receivers.

The suspects would be arraigned in court at completion of investigation.

The statement reads in part; “On 19/07/2023 at about 1200hrs, the above captured case was transferred from Budo-Nuhu Police Station to the State CID, Ilorin for discreet investigation to the effect that, on 17/07/2023 at about 2100hrs, one Bello Musbau ‘M’ of Solid Worth Hotel, off Asa-Dam Road, that on 16/07/2023 at 1900hrs, one of their customers, one Wasiu Abdulsalami ‘M’ of No. 19 Magaji Street, reported that his motorcycle was stolen from the hotel premises, investigation using the hotel’s CCTV footage revealed one Usma Abdulkadri ‘Male’, who was arrested and confessed commiting the crime.

“Investigation led to the arrest of one Ibrahim Saheed ‘Male’ a staff of Kwara state traffic management Agency (KWATMA) a receiver of the stolen motorcycle, the motorcycle has, however, been recovered.

“The suspects would soon be charged in court.”