Local hunters and operatives of Ajoni Local Council Development Area, Operation Eradicating Bandits at the Borders of Rural Ajoni Communities (Operation EBBORAC), on Tuesday at Irele Ekiti arrested four suspects who allegedly killed an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Segun Ayebulu, and kidnapped his relatives on September 3.
The arrest was made on the day the late NSCDC officer, who was shot dead along Oke Ako Road, was buried in his home town, Ogbe, in Kogi State.
The three kidnap victims regained their freedom on Wednesday after their family paid about N5m and other items.
An eye witness at Irele Ekiti, said, “We were on our way back from Ogbe where we went to bury the late NSCDC officer when the arrest was made. The gunmen were on two motorbikes when a hunter saw them and suspected them, especially with the way they dressed. They wore pull-over jackets and three of them on each motorbike.
“The hunter drew the attention of other hunters and operatives of Operation EBBORAC. They stopped them. It was in the process of searching that guns were discovered. Two of them escaped on one of their bikes. Four were apprehended. They have been handed over to the police and the police have taken them away, I think to Ikole Ekiti en route Ado Ekiti.
The Chairman, Ajoni LCDA, Michael Ogungbemi, who confirmed the arrest, said they had confessed they were responsible for the killing of the NSCDC officer and the kidnap of the three relatives in the vehicle.
Ogungbemi said, “The hunters and our LCDA local security outfit have apprehended the killers and kidnappers. They caught them and the people confessed. One of the three kidnapped victims identified them as their kidnappers.
“I have informed the police at the state command, Ado Ekiti and the division at Ikole Ekiti to deploy their men and vehicle to take them. I have also informed Amotekun in Ado Ekiti and around here. Two locally-fabricated barrels and a revolver were found on them.”
The Commander, Ekiti State Amotekun Corps, Brig. Gen Joe Komolafe (retd.), who also confirmed the arrest, said, “As I speak, the police, in conjunction with our men, have taken the four suspects and they are on their way to Ado Ekiti.”
