Adelani Adepegba, Abuja
The police have arrested five suspects in connection with the kidnapping of the mother of the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, in 2014.
Hajia Hawawu Bello, 80, was kidnapped in Uvete, Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi on May 29, 2014.
The suspects are a former councillor in Okene Local Government Council, Iliyasu Suleiman, 44; the gang leader, Danjuma Ibrahim, 26; Iliyasu Obadaki, 35; Alhaji Nasiru, 43; and Hafiz Yakubu.
The police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, who paraded the suspects on Tuesday in Abuja, said items recovered from them included two AK47 rifles; 20 live cartridges; one army camouflage inner wear; two pairs of army camouflage trousers and two army camouflage caps.
Also recovered from the suspects were one black Beretta; two plastic guns; three knives and one axe.
Moshood said all the suspects had confessed to the kidnapping of the governor’s mother and some robbery operations in Abuja, Kogi and Niger.
He said efforts were being intensified to arrest the fleeing members of the gang while the suspects would be charged to court on completion of investigation.
The former LG councilor, Suleiman, said he was involved in the kidnapping, adding that he received a Peugeot 406 car from the gang leader, Ibrahim.
Another suspect, Obadaki, said he was given N.2m from the undisclosed ransom that was collected before their victim was released.
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