Edo Police Recover Two Corpses Of Kidnap Victims From Forest, Suspect Arrested

The Edo State Police Command has recovered two decomposing bodies from a forest along the Benin-Lagos Expressway, victims who were kidnapped last month from the Iyowa community in Ekiadolor . The recovery followed the arrest of a suspected member of a seven-man syndicate that operates along the Benin-Lagos and Benin-Akure expressways.

The arrest was made by the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), who engaged the gang in a gun battle in the forest. The state VCRU commander, CSP Osagie Godspower, led journalists and health officials into the forest where the corpses were recovered.

A survivor, whose mother was among those killed, recounted the harrowing experience. The kidnappers struck their home in Iyowa community, abducting her, her mother, and their maid. Three more families were later abducted and brought to join them in the forest, making a total of four families held captive.

“We were here at this spot for two days, when they asked my mother her age, she responded 66,” the survivor narrated. “They asked another woman and she said 45 and one small boy, who was 15 years. We initially thought they were going to let those ones go because of their age, but later in the evening they took them down this way”.

“After some arguments they shot the other woman on the shoulder, and the bullet also met my mom. The other woman went quiet immediately, but my mom was still talking. I could hear her praying and later she started breathing heavily and later stopped. After about five minutes, they took us to another location where they also shot the boy through the shoulder and he died”.

The victim noted that her family later paid eleven million Naira and brought other items, while other families also paid ransom before they were all released.

The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, explained the breakthrough in the case. “We had a major first breakthrough in this case on the 19th of May, when operatives of the VCRU sighted four of the syndicate in the forest and engaged them in a gun battle with many of them escaping with gunshot injuries”.

“We had another breakthrough days after following their trail when we arrested one 24-year-old Haruna while he was trying to take treatment for his gunshot wound and have since confessed to the crime. He led us here to recover the two bodies, as well as the body of the 15-year-old boy which we have evacuated earlier”.

“We are still on the trail of the rest and we are confident that in no time the Violent Crime Response Unit will round up the remaining members of this kidnapping syndicate”.

The suspect, 24-year-old Haruna Musa, confessed to being a member of the seven-man syndicate. He claimed he previously worked controlling cattle in Ogun State before being recruited.

“Na cattle I dey control. The Salah wey pass, no be this one, the other one, one of my brothers call me make I come control cow for Ogun State. But no be Fulani get am, na ordinary person get am when dem wan take do Salah”.

“As dem sell the cow finish for Salah, that my brother come say make I come say another work dey. Na so we take come here when I see say na this kind work. I fear say if I tell dem say I no dey do that time, them go kill me, so I no get choice than to follow them”.

The state Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, commended the VCRU and Drone Unit operatives for their professionalism and resilience, assuring residents that the command would continue pursuing all members of the syndicate until they are brought to justice.