The operatives of the Ogun State Police Command say they have arrested seven family members and two others for allegedly operating a kidnap ring.
The police said the suspects were allegedly been behind series of kidnap cases within Sagamu and its environs in the year 2020.
According to the state Police Public Relations, Officer Abimbola Oyeyemi said those arrested are Oweniwe Okpara from Delta state and three of his children namely; Samson Okpara, Bright Okpara and Eze Okpara as well as one Christian Ishaha who accommodated them.
He said they were all arrested in Ajaka area of Sagamu for their roles in the kidnap of eight persons at different times in Sagamu and other areas.
Oyeyemi added that in the course of investigation, it was discovered that three other members of the family constituting the criminal gang namely; Godwin Okpara, Godspower Okpara and Mathew Okpara are the armed squad of the syndicate, while Samson, Bright and Eze Okpara were the one spying on their targeted victims.
He said one Emmanuel Joseph, a native of Ebele in Edo state was later recruited into the fold, having confronted their sister Eze Okpara to tell him the source of money they used to count everyday.
Oyeyemi explained that the suspects subsequently opened up to him that “they are into kidnap business and he also joined them.”
Expatiating on how the suspects were tracked, Oyeyemi said the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, had given an order to that effect to the Divisional Police Officer, Sagamu, CSP Okiki Agunbiade.
He said the DPO and crack detectives with the support of Sagamu security council under Akarigbo of Remo land embarked on intelligence and technical based investigation, which led to their arrest.
He said, “In the course of investigation, it was discovered that three other members of the family constituting the criminal gang namely; Godwin Okpara, Godspower Okpara and Mathew Okpara are the armed squad of the syndicate, while Samson, Bright and Eze Okpara were the one spying on their targeted victims.
“One Emmanuel Joseph, a native of Ebele in Edo state was later recruited into the fold, having confronted their sister Eze Okpara to tell him the source of money they used to count everyday. They subsequently opened up to him that they are into kidnap business and he also joined them.”
Among the victims of the gang, he said was “one Okechukwu Onwubiko who was kidnapped on the 4th of June 2019.
“They also kidnapped one Omotayo Sobowale on the 16th of June 2020, while one Lamidi Akeem was abducted by the same gang on the 20th of July 2020.
“On the 3rd of November 2020, the gang kidnapped one Mrs Areoye Olufunke, and barely a week after, on the 11th of November 2020, they abducted another person one Mrs Adijat Adeleye and Ashaye Olayinka Tobi was also kidnapped on the 12th of November by this dreaded gang.”
Oyeyemi said having heard about the arrest of their father and their three siblings, Godwin, Godspower and Mathew Okpara took to flight and ran to Delta state with their operational car and their arms where they were subsequently apprehended by the Delta State Police Command after carrying out another kidnapping there.
Their camp located at a forest in Ayepe-ijebu where their father used to farm before converting it to a camp was located by policemen led by the DPO Sagamu and subsequently destroyed.
He said items recovered at the camp include; three expended cartridges, cooking gas, tarpaulin, cooking utensils, women bags and twine.
Oyeyemi said the Commissioner of Police, who expressed satisfaction with the intelligence and painstaking investigation of the detectives has reiterated the stand of the command not to relent in accomplishing the onerous task of providing adequate security for the good people of Ogun state.
He appealed for cooperation of the general public in the area of giving useful information “that will assist in eliminating criminals from the entire state.”