Lagos school kidnap: Breakthrough, as Police arrest 3 suspects

By Evelyn Usman

lagos—Three suspected members of the kidnap gang that stormed Lagos Model College, Igbonla, Epe, abducting six Senior Secondary School students, last Thursday, have been arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team.

The suspects were arrested in Benin , Edo state capital, Tuesday night.

Information at Vanguard’s disposal had it that the gang’s intention to send some of its members through the route , was to ensure that it was devoid of police presence as well as any other intruder.

Their plan as gathered, was to use the route to relocate the abducted students to another creek as earlier threatened, following failure on the part of the affected parents to meet with the ransom demand.

The trio of Egelu Endurance, whose operational name is Jubby (25), Stanley Yomi Irabomini with operational name Powei (25) and Endurance Bentel (24) reportedly left their colleagues in the creeks where the abducted students were kept about 4pm. They embarked on the journey to Benin through the water ways from Ondo state, apparently to beat eagle eye operatives  stationed at strategic locations around the creeks where the students are suspected to have been kept.

But unknown to them, IRT operatives who sighted them leaving, traced them to Benin.

During preliminary investigation, they were discovered to be from Edo state. Endurance claimed to be from Ovia South Local Government area while Irabomini and Bentel claimed that they were from Ovia South local government of the state.

They confessed during interrogation to have gone to see one of their members who sustained severe bullet wounds during a recent encounter with security operatives.

Police sources hinted that the suspects also confessed to have participated in various kidnappings of prominent personalities in Lagos and Ogun states, among which were the abduction of Isheri landlords, kidnap of students and staff of Turkish school, abduction of Oniba of Iba and Epe school kidnap.

“ They claimed that they came to see their injured colleague in Benin and also to relax for a while before going back to the creeks. Serious efforts to arrest the remaining gang members and rescue the school children is in progress,” Police sources said.

Parents apprehensive

Meanwhile, parents of the abducted students are apprehensive over the condition of their children.

Two of them claimed that they had not heard anything from the kidnappers since their last conversation at the early hours of Monday.

One of them said : “ My church declared a fast since the students were abducted , prayers are still ongoing. We have been assured that they will return safe. But this is rather taking too long. Today makes it seven nights the innocent students have spent in the kidnappers den.

‘’The most traumatic of all is that I have not heard from them since my last conversation with them. I am appealing to them to release my children. The money with us now is N300,000 out of the N15 million they demanded”.

Asked if he was aware of the recent reduction in ransom, he replied; “ I was not contacted on the reduction. The last time I was contacted, they said they needed N15 million. I was not given any opportunity to negotiate, as the caller hung up on me.

‘’Government said they are working towards their rescue, same with the Police. But how long are we going to wait?’’

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