The Police in Lagos, on Sunday said they had killed a suspected kidnapper and arrested another one during exchange of gunfire with the syndicate.
The State Police spokesman, CSP Chike Oti, who disclosed this in a statement, also said that the incident happened at Agbowa area of Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos State.
He explained that the two suspects belonged to a kidnapping syndicate which has been terrorising some parts of the state, particularly Ikorodu area, adding that two other suspects escaped with injuries after exchange of gunfire.
According to Oti, the Anti-kidnapping Squad of the State Command, acted on the directive of the Command’s Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi, on Friday, at about 11 a.m.
He said that the command received two separate reports on Nov. 13 and 16 from one Suleiman Eniola Ajumobi and one Veronica Ewuru about the kidnapping of their daughter and husband respectively.
“While Suleiman Eniola Ajumobi reported that his 7-year-old daughter was kidnapped from his house in his presence.
“Veronica Ewuru stated that her husband, one DSP Patrick Ewuru, a police officer attached to Force Headquarters annex, Obalende, was kidnapped from their house in the night when the victim came out to check on the Power Generating Set that suddenly stopped working.
“The kidnappers demanded for ransom of N25 million from Mr. Suleiman and N10 million from the family of DSP Patrick Ewuru but later settled for N500, 000 for both families.
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“At this point, the CP directed operatives handling the matter to play along with the kidnappers in the interest of the victims, who were still in captivity,” he said.
The statement noted that as soon as the two victims were released, the kidnappers hideout at Agbowa was busted, where one Festus Abama was killed and Austin Ebimiyenwei surrendered.
According to Oti the arrested suspect confessed to the crime, while the victim had identified them as those who kidnapped them.
He said that effort was being made to arrest those on the run, while the suspect already in police custody would be charged to court.