Police Parade Kidnappers who Killed Delta Monarch

Six suspected members of the kidnap gang that abducted and subsequently killed a traditional ruler in Delta State in January were on Friday paraded before newsmen in Asaba by the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Usman Baba Alkali.

The surviving victim kidnapped alongside the Ubulu-Uku monarch, who is a pastor in a local church in Delta State, Mr. Charles Afamefuna, also narrated his experience in the hands of the kidnappers with the late Obi Ofulue III until he escaped from their captors.

Edward Akaeze Ofulue III, the Obi of Ubuluku-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State was abducted by a gang of kidnappers on the Obior-Igbodo Road in the state on January 5, 2016 but his decomposing corpse was later found in the bush many kilometers away on January 21, 2016.

Alkali, who noted that all the six suspects so far apprehended by the police were of the HausaFulani stock, revealed that the ringleader of the kidnap gang, "Garba Abubakar, a.k.a. Dogo", was picked up by police detectives from Alfarma village in Gangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

A cellular phone belonging to the late Ubulu-Uku king, which was taken from him by his abductors, was eventually tracked by security operatives and recovered from a Fulani security guard at a filling station in Asaba, he said.

Another cellular phone, a "Nokia Asha 201" handset belonging to the pastor who was driving with the deceased traditional ruler on the fateful day was also tracked and eventually recovered from a young lady in Adamawa State, identified as simply as Farida Abubakar.

The police commissioner said that the said Farida Abubakar, who is believed to be a mistress of the gang leader, "Dogo" was arrested on 29 January, 2016 in Ngurore town, Adamawa State.

Alkali, who refused to answer journalists' question why the suspected kidnappers were not in handcuffs by were looking relatively clean whereas other suspects paraded before newsmen, including two suspected jewelry thieves, were in handcuffs, further said that one Usman Musbau had earlier been nabbed by the police in Asaba on 8 January, 2016 after deleting "all traceable information" on the late monarchy's phone.

"Suleiman Musa (male), the second-in-command of the kidnap gang, was arrested on 16 January, 2016 and has confessed to the crime, and mentioned his gang members", the Delta police commissioner said.

According to Alkali, after the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Igbodo Police Station informed a patrol team of the abduction at about 4.20 p.m. on Tuesday, 5 January, 2016, "The hoodlums opened communication using the Obi's phone and demanded for ransom" the following day.

"While this (negotiation) was on, on 7/1/2016 one Pastor Afamefuna Charles Ugbo was found wandering and taken to Umunede Police Station and he confirmed being kidnapped with the Obi who picked him in his car in Ubulu-Uku on 5/1/2016."