‘We Kidnapped Edo Immigration Officer and Sold Her to Fulani Herdsmen’-Suspects
‘We kidnapped Edo immigration officer and sold her to Fulani Herdsmen’ – suspects. The officer was kidnapped and taken to Ahor forest to be sold.
A certain Innocent Emonyon, a member of the notorious pool group that kidnapped the spokesperson for the Nigerian Immigration Service in the state, Mrs. Bridget Esene, has been arrested by the Edo State Police Command
Baguba Usman and Yusuf Ismaila identified as the two Fulani herdsmen were also arrested in connection with the kidnap of Mrs. Esene and other victims.
It was reported that the kidnappers were from Benin and they had a habit of kidnapping people and selling them to Fulani herders in Ahor forest near Benin.
The public relations officer was kidnapped around the Iqueniro area off Agbor Road, on Sunday morning, January 24th, 2021, on her way to church.
After she was released, she narrated how she was taken by the kidnappers and sold to a gang suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
Emonyon who is 40 years of age, is the professional driver of the gang and was arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Unit of the police command.
It was discovered that the police had arrested four members of the gang in their hideout in Ahor forest sometime in January, but Emonyon managed to escape.
Emonyon was arrested in 2016 for kidnapping but was released by the court after spending three years in police custody. The case was eventually dropped after the family, and kidnapped victims refused to appear in court to give evidence.
Emonyon also revealed how they kidnapped the immigration spokesperson and other unsuspecting victims.
“I was the one who was in charge of driving the car we used in abducting the Edo Immigration PRO and sold her to some Fulani herdsmen in Ahor forest,” he said.
“In addition to that, we also abducted a businesswoman along Lucky Way in Benin City, and we took her to the same forest after we shattered her two mobile phones.”
He also confessed that he kidnapped another businessman in Aduwawa, Benin City, and stole his Toyota Highlander SUV.
when he was asked about the other four members of his gang, he stated that he heard they had been arrested and urgently traveled to Lagos. He said he is surprised that the police were able to get him.
Based on the criminal’s confession, the Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime unit stormed the Ahor forest again on Wednesday, the 24th of March, and arrested Baguba Usman and Yusuf Ismaila, who were named as accomplices to the many kidnappings.
Baguda was identified by the police as one of the prisoners who escaped from the Edo correctional facility on the 19th of October during the #EndSARS protest that was overtaken by hoodlums.
Baguda confessed that he was involved in many kidnappings since he escaped from prison,
“I escaped from prison on the 19th of October, after some people forcefully broke into the prison and asked us to go. I am familiar with Desmond, who was one of the kidnappers in prison, and we planned and carried out so many kidnappings in this state,” he said.
SP Bello Kontongs, the spokesperson for the command, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, said that Philip Ogbadu, the state police commissioner, has since called for more investigations into the numerous kidnappings carried out by the gang members.
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