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The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) paraded 20 suspects in Abuja on Thursday for various crimes, including conspiracy, attempted murder, murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, and possession of illicit drugs.
One of the suspects, 32-year-old Yusuf Isah, was arrested in connection with the October 2022 attack on the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleman, the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide.
The convoy of the Apostle Suleman was attacked along the Benin-Auchi Road in Edo State where six persons and three police officers were killed by gunmen.
Isah during his confession statement said the attack on Suleman was an attempt to assassinate him. He added that he and his gang members trailed the pastor to the point where he was attacked with five AK-47 rifles.
The NPF confirmed that five AK-47 rifles, two K2 rifles, and 180 live ammunition were recovered from Isah.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi said that some of the rifles found with the suspect were snatched from the three policemen who were killed during the attack.
Isah also confessed to kidnapping an oil magnate and a businessman for whom N70 million and N2 million were respectively paid for their freedom.
The NPF said that two members of the seven-man gang were gunned down in separate encounters with the police and that efforts are ongoing to apprehend other suspects who are still at large.
Other suspects paraded by the NPF included Emu Chidiebere, Samuel Balogun, Babatunde Femi, and Nneka Opara, who were arrested for kidnapping.
Chidiebere, the principal suspect, was said to have lured a Swiss national to Nigeria, posing as an agent who facilitated gold transactions. The suspects held the victim hostage in an apartment from May 30 to June 2, 2023.
The NPF said that the force, in the last two months, arrested 548 armed robbery suspects, 242 kidnapping suspects, 365 murder/homicide suspects, and about 237 suspects for rape/defilement. The force also said that about 113 victims of kidnapping were rescued during the period.
The NPF recovered about 306 firearms and 3,944 ammunition across the country.
