A 52-year-old Pastor was among 35 suspected criminals nabbed by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and are now telling police interrogators all they know about their alleged involvement and participation in a series of kidnapping, armed robbery and other heinous crimes across the country.
Their arrest, according to Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, and Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO, was “sequel to the unrelenting efforts by the Force to rid the country of heinous criminals and to get justice for victims of these crimes.”
Apart from the “criminally-minded pastor” as a police bulletin described Adetokumbo Adenopo, the 52-year-old Founder and General Overseer of New Life Ministry, Lukosi in Shagamu, Ogun State,the police also named three other members of his criminal gang as: Chigozie Williams, 22, a native of Umuahia North, Abia State; Ugoji Linus, 30, a native of Ezinifite in Imo State; and Emmanuel Chris Ani, 27, a native of Aniri in Enugu State.
The pastor and his gang were reportedly responsible for the kidnap for ransom of a 35-year-old man from Benue State, Jonathan Ekpo.
The pastor, according to Mba, told police operatives that he embarked on the crime for the expansion of his church and charity works.
The victim, an employee of a logistic company, was kidnapped on July 17, 2020, while on official duty to deliver goods in Shagamu, Ogun State. The victim was kept in an underground cabin inside the Pastor’s church building in Ogijo town, Ogun State, by his abductors who demanded the payment of N20 million ransom as condition for his release. He was,however, rescued unhurt nine days after and has since been reunited with his family.
Similarly, the police also arrested a 30-year-old man from Osuachara Village, Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State, Udodiri Bright, a.k.a. Ability, and three others-Ekwuru Shadrack, a.k.a. Escobar, 26, a native of Arondizuogu in Okigwe LGA of Imo state; Chimerie Igwe, a.k.a. 4real, 30, a native of Umucheke Village in Orlu LGA of Imo State; and Chibuike Sunday, 28, from Arondizuogu in Imo State.
The suspects, according to the police statement, were arrested on July 5, 2020, for the abduction and killing of a Nigerian-US soldier, Chuks Okebata, who came to Nigeria for holidays in his home town, Okigwe, Imo State in 2017. The suspects, said to be one of the foremost kidnapping groups terrorizing the South Eastern part of the country, were arrested 31 months after.
The police team also arrested a 9-man trans-boundary armed robbery and car snatching syndicate led by one Yakubu Hayatu, 30, from Borno State. Members of the gang include: Adamu Awalu, 28, from Kano State, Abdulrahman Yakubu, 23, from Zaria, Yususf Adamu, 22, from Zaria, Kamal Japhet, 22, from Katsina, Abubakar Samaila, 20 from Zaria, Muhammadu Abdulahi, 20, from Zaria, Yahaya Mohammed, 18, from Kaduna State, and Ibrahim Abubakar, 21, from Kwara State.
Mba said, “Investigations reveal that the syndicate has snatched over thirty exotic cars at gun point and killed two policemen. They used anti-tracker devices to evade arrest and delivered the vehicles to one Alhaji Garba in Maradi, Niger Republic. Eighteen vehicles have so far been recovered by the Police team. The team is working with the INTERPOL to apprehend Alhaji Garba and to recover the remaining vehicles.
“Exhibits recovered include: 4 Ak47 Rifles, 1 FMC rifle, 1 Pump Action Gun, 2 double barrel guns, 1 Beretta pistol, 4 AK47 Magazine, 6 cartridges, 378 Rounds of live Ammunition, 1 Network Jammer (anti-tracker device), and others.”
Noting that the suspects will be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, assured that the battle against criminal elements in the country was a continuous one.