Police Corporals Arrested For Kidnap

Two Mobile Police Officers of MOPOL 31, Ogwashi-Uku, Corporals Musa Edon and Idide Oreva, have been arrested for allegedly running a kidnapping gang in Delta State.

Luck ran out on the policemen after their four-man gang abducted Mr. Umukoro Daniel from his Abraka home near the Holy Cross Street in Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects were arrested by a special crack team from the Anti-Kidnapping Committee led by Austine Opumbor, Mabiaku Ommassan, Abraham Obarume and Tony Edafiogho at Okpara Waterside in Ethiope East.

The suspects were among the five policemen attached to a nipping point at Abraka. The Anti-Kidnapping Committee was set up by the state House of Assembly Committee on Peace and Security, chaired by Hon. Michael Diden.

It was learnt that since they were detained at the command headquarters in Asaba, detectives attached to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the command had launched a full-scale manhunt for the two other fleeing members of the gang.

The command has started interrogating the two mobile policemen. Their arrest followed a tip-off by a witness who said he was attracted to the scene by the sporadic gunshots from the gang.

One of the leaders of the committee, Tony Edafiogho, described their arrest as ‘tasking’ even as he expressed shock over the identities of the perpetrators.

He said: “Immediately we got a hint of the kidnap of Umukoro Daniel at Abraka, we mobilised our men for the rescue mission but a motorcycle rider, popularly called Okada rider, who witnessed the incident from a close distance and trailed them with his motorcycle, gave them out.”

The state Acting Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andy Aniamaka, confirmed the arrest of the suspected policemen in Asaba yesterday. He said: “They are currently in detention at the state headquarters in Asaba, while the other members of the gang are still at large.”

He said: “They were on illegal duty and their action amounted to misconduct. A disciplinary action is already being taken.” Aniamaka said vowed that the suspects would be dealt with according to the law.