Notorious kidnapper arrested in Edo State

The Edo State Police Command has arrested a man it described as a notorious kidnapper, Amacauley Ikhuakpogba.

Police Inspector General, Solomon Arase

The suspect was reportedly arrested at Iguobazuwa, headquarters of Ovia Southwest Local Government Area.

He was said to have been arrested during a routine stop-and-search.

Ikhuakpogba is said to have committed several kidnappings and robberies.

He was among 35 suspects the police paraded yesterday in Benin, the state capital.

The suspect told reporters that he carried out two kidnappings and eight robberies.

Ikhuakpogba said he collected N500,000 ransom from one of his victims.

Other suspects were said to have robbed, kidnapped, snatched cars and raped women.

A dropout from the Nigeria Military School, Hope Obasuyi, who had allegedly been posing as a soldier to residents, was also paraded.

The 27-year-old was arrested in Benin after a phone he allegedly stole was taken to a relative of the phone owner for unlocking.

He said he was kicked out of the military school in 1994 because he attended a party against the school’s rules.

The “soldier” said he used the extra military camouflage given to him to sew a uniform and pretended to be a soldier.

Obasuyi said he was a welder, adding that he sometimes used the uniform to get many facilities, especially mobile phones from people.

Items recovered from the suspects included five AK-47 rifles, 25 cut-to-size guns, four double-barrelled guns, four single-barrelled guns, three pump action guns, 52 live cartridges, three cars, one motorcycle and seven assorted mobile phones.

Police Commissioner Adegbuyi Samuel said the 35 suspects were among 117 arrested in July and August.

He said they would soon be charged to court.

Notorious kidnapper arrested in Edo State