Eight suspected kidnappers involved in the abduction of pupils and teachers of the Apostolic Faith School in Ekiti State, have been arrested.
Ekiti State Police Command made this known on Friday while parading the suspects.
It would be recalled that the students and their teachers were in their school bus on the way to Emure Ekiti when the were kidnapped on Monday, January 29.
They, however, regained their freedom on Sunday, February 4.
The driver of the bus was said to have been killed by the kidnappers.
While parading the suspects, the Public Relations Officer of Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Abutu Sunday, said against the backdrop of an intelligence that some expatriates were about to be kidnapped at a dairy farm at Ikun Ekiti, the police mobilised and arrested one Abubakar Aliyu.
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Aliyu was said to be out to spy on the location of the expatriates before the kidnapping would be carried out.
The police spokesman said that the mobile phone used to demand ransom for the release of the students and their teachers was recovered.
The PPRO explained further: “After the arrest of Abubakar Aliyu, the leader of the kidnapping gang, identified as one Sumo Karami, sent two vigilante members, one Saliu Ibrahim, and one Umaru Saliu, to secure the bail of the arrested gang member from police custody.
“The two vigilante members were arrested, and they led the RRS operatives to Oro-Ago town, where one Mohammed Bashiru, the leader of Miyetti Allah vigilante in Oro-Ago, Kwara State, was arrested.
“During interrogation, Bashiru revealed that he is a relative of Sumo Karami, who is the leader of a dreaded kidnapping gang, and that Abubakar Aliyu is one of his gang members who have been terrorising and kidnapping innocent citizens with AK47 rifles and other dangerous weapons.
“Initial investigations revealed that Sumo Karami and his gang members were responsible for the kidnapping of the pupils and their teachers in Emure-Ekiti on 29th January 2024.
“Effort also led to the arrest of two other gang members, namely: Yahaya Jubril and Usman Garba in Owo forest, Ondo State.”
