Police bust 7-man gang that killed 6 in Apostle Suleiman’s convoy

Recall that during the fatal attack on Suleiman’s convoy, on October 21, 2022, along the Benin-Auchi road, six persons, including three police personnel, were killed, while their service rifles were stolen.

Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed this at IRT headquarters in Abuja, while parading the gang member arrested, said: “Operatives of FIB-IRT on the trail of the assailants apprehended one Yusuf Isah, a native of Okene, Kogi State, and a plumber, at AgbaraOluwa Phase 2, Ijoka, Akure, Ondo State, and recovered five Ak-47 rifles, two K2 Assault rifles, 180 live ammunition and four suspected IEDs found in his apartment.

“Investigations revealed that the suspect was part of the 7-man gang responsible for the attack on the convoy of the Apostle and some of the rifles found in his possession were, in fact, rifles snatched from the three police officers killed during the October 21, 2022 attack.

“The suspect confessed he joined the vicious gang in 2021, after he was freed from Olokuta Prisons, where he was on remand since 2019 for involvement in armed robbery.

“The group specialised in kidnapping for ransom, and has carried out about four kidnapping operations between 2021 and 2023, including the attack on the convoy of the Apostle, before the gang was eventually busted by the Police.

”Two members of the 7-man gang were gunned-down in separate encounters with the Police. The suspect confessed that the gang was responsible for the kidnap of a popular oil dealer at Jattu, Auchi, in 2022, where they obtained a ransom of about N70 million before his release.

“The gang equally carried out the kidnap of a businessman along Benin-Agbor express road in 2022 and collected N20 million as ransom from the victim’s family.

“Their last attempt at kidnapping after the failed attack on the Apostle was along Owo-Ikare road where they were heavily engaged and repelled by the police escort accompanying their target.

‘The suspect further confessed the plan of the gang on October 21, 2022, was to forcibly kidnap the Apostle and collect a huge ransom.

“They had trailed him for days and planted an informant on the Benin-Auchi express road to feed them with updates on his itinerary on the day of the attack.”

Isah said he was the one who first opened fire on the convoy upon its approach but noted that their key target managed to escape the attack.

Adejobi said efforts were on to apprehend other suspects still at large.

Similarly, operatives of the FIB-IRT arrested a four-man gang which kidnapped a Swiss national, demanded the payment of $2000 ransom from his family in Switzerland and threatened to harvest his kidney if the ransom was not paid.

Luck, however, ran out on them when police operatives tracked and nabbed them with $800 of the money recovered.

The kingpin of the gang, Emu Larry Chidiebere, 34years, who hails from Agbor, Delta State, claimed to be an agent in gold business.

Others are Samuel Balogun from 22, Kabba, Kogi State, forex trader/ fashion designer; Willams Banjo 28, Epe, Lagos State, beautician; Babatunde Femi, 30, Oke-Ogun, Ogun State, hairstylist, married with a child.
The Police said Emu Larry lured the Swiss national to Nigeria, posing as an agent who facilitates Gold transactions in Nigeria.

“Upon the arrival of the victim on May 30, 2023, the prime suspect alongside a lady and Samuel Balogun received him at the airport and conveyed him to a serviced apartment where they lodged him.

‘Subsequently, Emu procured Babatunde Femi and Williams Banjo who tied down the victim and seized his iPhone, while compelling him to contact his relatives in Zurich to send them the sum of $2000 while threatening to harvest his kidney and sell it, if their demands were not met.

“The suspects held the victim hostage in the apartment from May 30, 2023 to June 2, 2023. The suspects took pictures of the victim and forwarded the pictures and threat messages to the girlfriend of the victim in Zurich, who eventually sent them the sum of $2000 via Western Union on June 1, 2023.

“Upon receipt of the report, operatives of FIB-IRT were deployed on the case and successfully apprehended the suspects.

”Items recovered from them are one locally made single barrel gun, one iPhone 13 Promax with air pods, five different types of company stamp, one stamp seal, envelope containing documents and five bricks of fake Gold”

”Also paraded were two suspects for drugs trade. They include Ifeanyi Udoye and Chidiebere Iyke both of FCT.

“The operatives of the FIB-IRT based on credible information intercepted and arrested two suspects at Karu opposite Customs office FCT Abuja for being in Possession of Illicit Drugs (Tramadol).
‘”After being interrogated thoroughly suspects confessed to have been indulging in these crimes, of always buying it from one Mr Mohammed of Apapa Lagos State who always supplies them the illicit drugs in large quantity.

“They also confessed to have bought these illicit drugs for the sum of N2.5 million and have sold over N1.5-million worth of illicit drugs to the public. The police recovered 20 packs of tramadol and a Lexus saloon car ES350 from the suspects.”