DSS, police arrest abductors of cleric, others

Thirteen persons, including two women, were yesterday paraded by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police in Ekiti State for a series of abductions in the last three months. The police said the suspects were responsible for the abduction of a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Akingbade, former Chief Medical Director of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Dr Patrick Adegun and others.

Among the suspects is a selfacclaimed pastor, Babatunde Balogun. While parading the suspects in Ado-Ekiti, an event attended by Governor Ayo Fayose, the state Director, DSS, Mr Duke Fubara, and the Commissioner of Police, Mr Etop James, said the suspects had given confessional statements about their involvement in the criminal activities. Fubara added that one Gbenga David aka Oruma was accosted by his men in Osun State during the investigation and was shot while trying to escape.

According to him, the suspect is now receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital. The DSS boss said their efforts became fruitful following synergy between the DSS and the police with the intention to rid the state of crimes and miscreants. He said: “We could all attest to the fact that the kidnappers terrorised the state from the first week of May this year. Their activities brought a lot of trauma to the people. “Though some of the victims have been released, we did not give in. We did investigation and we increased our network and the result is what you are seeing today.

“What we found with the composition of these suspects was that some of them were members of the inmates that escaped during the November 30, 2014 jailbreak in Ado-Ekiti.” ”Fubara said. Also speaking, James said the anti-kidnapping squad of the command was working round the clock to prevent the resurgence of kidnapping in the state. Fayose appealed to the opposition to stop politicising kidnapping and other criminal acts. He said: “It is a collective fight. We have to fight this together, so that all of us can sleep with two eyes closed.”.