A self-acclaimed pastor, Adetokunbo Aderopo, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in kidnapping and armed robbery, has told the police that his involvement was to expand his church and charity works.
Aderopo and three suspected members of his gang were among 35 suspects arrested by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) across Nigeria for their alleged involvement in various crimes.
The pastor, who was said to have headed a church at Lukosi, Sagamu, in Ogun State, and his gang members allegedly kidnapped a victim, an employee of a logistics company, on July 17, 2020 while on official duty to deliver goods in Sagamu.
Reporters At Large gathered that the victim was kept in an underground cabin inside the pastor’s church building at Ogijo town, in the same state, while his abductors demanded payment of N20 million as random, as a condition for his release.
But it was learnt that he was rescued by the police nine days after and reunited with his family.
IRT Nabs Trans-Boundary Gangs
The IRT also nabbed a nine-man trans-boundary gang which was into car snatching and armed robbery.
Led by one Yakubu Hayatu (30 years old) from Borno State, other suspected members included Adamu Awalu (28) from Kano State, Abdulrahman Yakubu (23) from Zaria, Kaduna State, Yusuf Adamu (22) from Zaria, Kamal Japhet (22) from Katsina State, Abubakar Samaila (20) from Zaria, Muhammadu Abdulahi (20) from Zaria, Yahaya Mohammed (18) from Kaduna State and Ibrahim Abubakar (21) from Kwara State.
In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, it was said that the syndicate has snatched 30 exotic vehicles at the fun point, and had also killed two policemen.
The suspects were said to have used anti-tracking devices to evade arrests and had allegedly delivered the vehicles to one Alhaji Garba in Maradi, Niger Republic.
Mba said that 18 vehicles had been recovered by the IRT and that the team was still working with INTERPOL to apprehend Alhaji Garba and recover remaining vehicles.
Exhibits recovered from the suspects included four AK47 rifles, an FMC rifle, a Pump-Action gun, two double-barrel guns, a Beretta pistol, four AK47 magazines, six cartridges, 378 rounds of live ammunition, a network-locking anti-tracking device and others.
Similarly, one Udodiri Bright a.k.a Ability (30) from Imo State and three others were arrested on July 5, 2020, for allegedly abducting and killing a Nigerian, who is a United States soldier, Chuks Okebata, who came to Nigeria on holiday at his home town, Okigwe in 2017.
The names of other suspects were given as Ekwuru Shadrack a.k.an Escobar, Chimerie Igwe a.k.a For Real and Chibuike Sunday.
The FPRO said that the suspects, who belonged to a kidnap group terrorising the South-Eastern part of Nigeria, we’re apprehended 31 months after the killing, following intensive manhunt for them by IRT.
Pointing out that the suspects would be arraigned in court after the conclusion of investigations, Mba said that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu assured that the battle against criminals would continue, to rid the nation of bad elements.
