Police arrest 4 kidnapper/rapists, kill 1 in Edo
The police in Edo State have arrested four persons that allegedly specialised in kidnapping women and raping them.
The suspects are Ikechukwu Emmanuel, 25; Fred Ihaza, 25; Godspower Ezemina, 28 and Friday Oko, 28.
The suspects were paraded alongside six other suspected criminals arrested for cultism and robbery by the Deputy Commissioner Police, Danjuma Muhammed Lawal, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Johnson Kokumo.
He said the suspects were arrested on September 9, following a tip off and that the police successfully rescued three victims from them.
He said the alleged cultists were arrested at Upper Sakpoba road, adding that one of them was killed during a gun battle with the police.
Speaking with journalists, one of the suspects, Friday Ihaza, a bus driver, said his duty was to carry the victim to their hideout.
“We succeeded in kidnapping three ladies. The money I was given was N40,000 but after our arrest, I am now hearing that the victims paid N500,000, N300,000 and N200,000 respectively.
“Godspower was the one that collected the ransom but he told us that only N100,000 was paid not knowing that the money was more than that,” he said.
He told journalists that he joined the group to raise money to take his mother to hospital and that when he was not getting the money he decided to quit, adding that he was working with his vehicle when police arrested him after Godspower was arrested.
On his part, Fred Oko, who is said to be in charge of luring their victims, said he raped them.
“We kidnapped three women but I only raped one. I joined the group when my father was sick and I needed money to take him to hospital for treatment. So when my friend called me that he had a job that we can do to get money, I joined them to raise the money.
“We picked the girls as passengers and took them to our hideout but at the end I was given N25,000. It was when police arrested us that I got to know that they paid N500,000. Godspower that collected the money said it was N100,000 that was paid as ransom,” he said.
Godspower on his part denied receiving N1 million as ransom from their victims but said he indulged in kidnapping to get money for his business.
“You know in a group there are leaders and when something comes out, some will get more than the others,” he said.
The police said the suspects would be charged to court as.