Six suspected kidnappers were Wednesday gunned down by the police at Uzea, Uromi in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Also, a criminal gang of grave robbers who specialize in vandalizing vaults and graveyards to desecrate corpses and decimate their parts for commercial purposes have been nabbed by the police in Edo State.
According to the Edo State Police spokesman Mr. Kontongs Bello, security operatives in collaboration with local vigilantes had arrested four suspected killer herdsmen during a vigorous bush combing at Ugboha and Ubiaja, both in Esan South East Local Government Area, in a bid to track down, possibly arrest and recover tools from the kidnap syndicates.
Kontongs, a superintendent of police explained that the four suspected kidnappers led the police to their hideout in Uzea Forest, Uromi, adding however that on sighting the team of operatives, the suspects engaged them in a heavy gun duel, but the superior firepower of the team led to the death of two members of the syndicate in the forest, where they hibernated.
He said that the four others that were initially arrested at Ugboha and Ubiaja who led the operatives to the syndicate’s hideout sustained serious gunshot injuries during the operation before giving up the ghost.
Kontongs gave the names of the four fallen herdsmen as Mohammed Amedu, 29, Shaibu Lawal, 30, Nasiru Mohammed, 31, and Mohammed Ibrahim, 28, adding that they died while receiving medical treatment at the hospital.
According to Kontongs, the following items which included one AK-47 assault rifle, one Pump Action gun, one double barrel gun, five live ammunition of AK-47, and one AK-47 magazine were recovered from the deceased.
The police spokesman disclosed that the grave robbers who included a female, Josephine Adun, 40, the ring leader; Oyegoke Olushola, 42; and Charity Goodluck, 29 were nabbed last Friday, May 6 in Benin with a human skull.
He added that while Olusola is the gang’s herbalist, Goodluck, who is based in Ologbo, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state bought the skull for N40,000.
While reiterating the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abutu Yaro’s commitment to the fight against all forms of crimes, he called on all Local Government Areas of the state and other agencies of government who are empowered in safeguarding the cemetery to place more efforts in safeguarding the tombs as activities of these criminals needs to be checked before they constitute more nuisance in the society.
