Police parade 11-yr old boy, 12 others for ritual murder, kidnapping

Posted by admin Headlines, Nigerian Police Saturday, July 6th, 2013

BY BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO, Lokoja

The Nigeria Police, Kogi State Command, has paraded 13 suspects for various criminal activities in the state. Among them is one Mudi Ibrahim, who was nabbed while trying to enlist into the Army and Yahaya Isah, a serving councillor and an 11-year-old boy in connection with the killing of a 17-year-old girl for rituals.

Others paraded are: Mudi Ibrahim, Yakubu Yusuf a.k.a. PAPA, Ocholi Awoko, Isiaka Alhaji and Maji Eiloma for robbery and kidnapping; Suleiman Yunusa, Isiaka John Yunusa, Alfa Maha, Hon. Yahaya Isah for murder; while Ibrahim Yakubu, Umaru Idrisu, Musa Abdullahi and Faruk Musa were arrested for armed robbery.
MD Abubakar, Police IG

MD Abubakar, Police IG

Parading the suspects yesterday, State Commissioner for Police, Hilary Okpara, said Mudi Ibrahim was arrested while trying to enlist at the Chari Maiguri Army Barrack, Lokoja, after the Police tipped off the army officers who subsequently arrested and handed him over for questioning.

While investigations were ongoing, other members of the gang led by Yakubu Yusuf were said to have kidnapped the traditional ruler of Ejule, the Onuh of Ejule, Chief Simon Shaibu, on the suspicion that he was instrumental to the arrest of their gang member.

“On receipt of the information of the kidnapping of the paramount ruler, the police in the neighbouring towns erected emergency roadblocks aimed at intercepting the run – away kidnapper, and in an attempt to evade the police, the kidnappers who were escaping with the victim in his own car had an accident where one of the kidnappers sustained a fracture and was arrested; while the other gang members whisked the chief away on their motorcycle”.

The kidnappers were said to have released the traditional ruler when the police were closing in on them, but four of their members were arrested at a cashew farm where they usually hibernate. The cashew farm was said to have been owned by Maji Ebiloma, an 80-year-old man who built a shrine for the gang on the farm.

The CP disclosed that the gang members had admitted responsiblity for the kidnapping of one Ebuka at Ojodu Village in Ofu LG in 2012, as well as the attack on a PDP party member in Ejule during the recent PDP primary elections, among other crimes.

As for the councillor who was arrested for killing a girl for ritual purposes, Hilary said the decomposing body of the victim, Miss Ogbadu, was found on 21 June, 2013 between Achigili and Ofoja village in Ofu LG, with the head cut off and some parts missing.

Investigations, he said, led to the arrest of Suleiman Yunusa who confessed that he, along with Isiaku John Yunusa and Alifa Maha(11 years old), carried out the demands of Yahaya Isah, a councillor representing Aloji Ward in Ofu Local Government area, who contracted them to provide him a human head.

The eleven-year old suspect, Alifa Maha while being questioned by journalists said it was money that made him to work with the gang. Another gang member, Suleiman Yunusa said he has been a long standing friend of the councilor and was actively involved in his campaign.

The Police Commissioner however said all the suspects will soon be charge to court solicited for cooperation from the citizens to provide useful information to the police towards reducing the crime rate in the State.wp_posts