Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin-City

The Edo State Police Command, on Sunday, paraded suspected kidnappers of a retired Major Stephen Omoigui,  who was abducted  alongside his sales girl in Benin-City.

The kidnappers were among  47 suspects who were arrested for offences ranging from murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism.

Addressing newsmen on the arrest of Kenneth Okafor, 35, the Commissioner of Police,  Kokumo Johnson, said the suspect abducted his victims along Benin-Lagos Express way by Iguosa Community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state.

He said the suspect was an ex-convict who was released from prison in April 2018, adding that the Police was able to arrest him through a high-tech investigation put in place by the command.

“On 18 June, 2018, they kidnapped a retired major along with his sales girl along Benin-Lagos Express Way by Iguosa Community. One Infinix and one Nokia Telephone set were recovered from the suspect.

“The interrogation of the suspect, led to the arrest of other members of the gang who are Mercy Ugbanyan, 19, Success Ogbanyan, 20, Gift Agbedion, 27 and Abieyuwa Osayande, 35.

“Four other suspects of course, were arrested in connection with this, making a total of five suspects in connection with the kidnapping of the retired major and his sales girl”, he said.

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The Commissioner of Police also paraded a four-man gang of armed robbers who specialised in rapping and dis-possessing passengers of the their belongings.

The identities of the suspects were given as   Jerry Ogiagbe, 22, Francis Paul, 20, David Oghenebrozie, 20 and others still at large.

Speaking on the level of his involvement, leader of the gang, David Oghenebrozie, said they killed one of their victims who wanted to wrestle gun with one of their members and buried him in the bush.

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He also admitted to have gang- rapped one of their victims during one of their operations.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Kokumo Johnson, has promised to make the state inhabitable for all criminal elements and called on members of the public to always volunteer information to the police in order to nip crimes in the bud.

He said the suspects will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.