By Patience Ogbo
An alleged kidnap syndicate, involving members of the same family, have been arrested by operatives of Ogun State Police Command.
Sequel to series of kidnap cases within Shagamu community and its environs in the year 2020, Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Edward Ajogun gave a matching order to the Area Commander and all the Divisional Police Officers in Shagamu to fish out those behind the dastardly act.
In compliance with the CP’s directive, the DPO Shagamu Division, CSP Okiki Agunbiade, and his crack detectives, with the support of Shagamu security council, under the Akarigbo of Remoland, embarked on intelligence and technical-based investigation, which led to the arrest of one Eweniwe Okpara from Delta State and three of his children namely; Samson Okpara, Bright Okpara and Eze Okpara as well as one Christian Ishaha, who accommodated them.
Spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi said, ” They were all arrested in Ajaka area of Shagamu for their roles in the kidnap of 8 persons at different times in Shagamu and other areas.
” In the course of investigation, it was discovered that three other members of the family constituting the criminal gang namely; Godwin Okpara, Godspower Okpara and Mathew Okpara are the armed squad of the syndicate, while Samson, Bright and Eze Okpara were the one spying on their targeted victims.
” One Emmanuel Joseph, a native of Ebele in Edo State was later recruited into the fold, having confronted their sister Eze Okpara to tell him the source of money they used to count everyday.
” They subsequently opened up to him that they are into kidnap business and he also joined them. Among the victims of the gang is one Okechukwu Onwubiko who was kidnapped on the 4th of June 2019. They also kidnapped one Omotayo Sobowale on the 16th of June 2020, while one Lamidi Akeem was abducted by the same gang on the 20th of July 2020.
” On the 3rd of November 2020, the gang kidnapped one Mrs. Areoye Olufunke, and barely a week after, on the 11th of November 2020, they abducted another person one Mrs. Adijat Adeleye and Ashaye Olayinka Tobi was also kidnapped on the 12th of November by this dreaded gang.”
Speaking further on how other members of the gang were arrested.
Oyeyemi said that Godwin, Godspower and Mathew Okpara fled to Delta State with their operational car and their arms after they got information that their father and three siblings have been arrested.
” Luck ran out on them when the Delta State Police Command arrested them after carrying out another kidnapping there.
” Their camp located at a forest in Ayepe-Ijebu where their father used to farm before converting it to a camp was located by policemen led by the DPO Shagamu and subsequently destroyed.
” Items recovered at the camp include; three expended cartridges, cooking gas, tarpaulin, cooking utensils, women bags and twine.
” The Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Ajogun who expressed satisfaction with the intelligence and painstaking investigation of the detectives has reiterated the stand of the command not to relent in accomplishing the onerous task of providing adequate security for the good people of Ogun State.
” He, therefore, appealed for cooperation of the general public in the area of giving useful information that will assist in eliminating criminals from Ogun State.”