Nigeria-Turkish School Kidnap: Police Arrest One More Suspect
The Police Inspector General’s Intelligence Response Team ( IRT) says it has arrested another member of a kidnapping gang who invaded the NigeriaTurkish International School ( NTIS), Isheri in Ogun on Jan. 13.
The leader of the team, ACP Abba Kyari, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday.
NAN recalls that some gunmen had on Jan. 13 invaded the NTIS, abducting five students and three teachers. The victims had since regained their freedom, with some of the suspects arrested.
Kyari said the latest suspect arrested, who is part of an eight- man kidnapping gang, also participated in the abduction of the Secretary of the Isheri Estate GRA Landlords Association in Lagos State.
“On Feb. 23, sequel to the arrest of seven Turkish School and Isheri kidnappers by our men in Ogun, Lagos, Ondo and Delta states, another key member of the group, Peter Ajanapo, 32, a.k.a. General Osari, was arrested.
“The suspect, a native of Afiesere town, Ughelli North LGA of Delta, was arrested by IRT operatives in Ughelli. He was arrested with the aid of Technical Intelligence Support from the Technical Intelligence Unit ( TIU), based in Delta.
“The suspect confessed to the Turkish School girls and Isheri secretary kidnappings. He claimed he got N2m and N150,000 respectively from the two operations,” Kyari said.
The ACP said the suspect also confessed to have used his share of the ransoms to rent and furnish an apartment in Ughelli town.
Kyari said the suspect was initially apprehended by one of his neighbours and local vigilante men for allegedly sleeping with his neighbour’s wife. He added that the suspect was subsequently granted bail on the condition that he would pack out from the community immediately.
“He, however, relocated to a hotel where we arrested him for participating in kidnappings in Lagos and Ogun,” he said. The police boss said investigations were still in progress with serious efforts being made to arrest other members of the gang.