Police Arrest Two Suspected Kidnappers After Collecting N5M Ransom In Edo

The arrested suspects

Two suspects fingered in the abduction of a 31-year-old man, Albert Igbinomwanhia, in Benin City, have been arrested by the Edo State Police Command.

It was gathered that the suspects, Joel Emazor, 31, and Philip Roberts, 30, belong to a syndicate specializing in abducting innocent persons in Benin City.

Spokesperson of the command, Chidi Nwabuzor, who paraded the suspects on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, said they were arrested on March 30 by the command’s intelligence Rapid Response Squad while acting on credible intelligence.

According to the PPRO, the suspects in collaboration with two others, Ossai and Eguavon, who are currently at large, kidnapped the victim and held him in their hideout for five days and later released him after collecting N5.1 million ransom from his parents.

“On March 6, the suspects and two others, Ossai and Eguavon, whose surnames are unknown, kidnapped one Albert Igbinomwanhia from Igbinedion Avenue, G.R.A., Benin City to Agbor Road Bye-Pass axis near Okhuahe River in a Lexus Jeep RX 330 with registration number RBC 18 DC and held him hostage inside a pit for five days,” he stated.

"The kidnappers demanded N14 million ransom from his family members and the victim was released to his family after they paid N5.1 million

"After collecting the ransom and releasing their victim, the suspects kept calling the victim and his parent that the N14 million must be completed or they will still kidnap the victim another time, which made the parent to petition the Commissioner of Police

“The suspects were arrested at their hideout and they have made statements and confessed to the crime. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspects who are at large,”

Nwabuzor assured that the command is battle ready to track down all criminal elements in the state in collaboration with other sister agencies.