The Police High Command announced on Thursday that its operatives have apprehended the masked man who led the notorious gang responsible for the attack on the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleiman, the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, along the Benin-Auchi road on October 21, 2022.
During a parade of the suspect and others in Abuja, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, stated that the suspect was a member of the seven-man gang that carried out the attack, resulting in the gruesome murder of six people, including three police officers.
Adejobi explained that the suspect was arrested following an extensive investigation into the fatal attack and would face charges of conspiracy, attempted murder, and murder after the ongoing investigation concludes.
The police spokesperson also revealed the exhibits recovered from the suspect, including five AK47 rifles, two K2 assault rifles, 180 live ammunition, and four suspected Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), among others.
He further noted that some of the rifles were taken from the three police officers who were killed during the attack.
According to Adejobi, the suspect confessed to joining the violent gang in 2021 after being released from the Olokuta Correctional Center in Akure, Ondo State, where he had been held on remand since 2019 for alleged involvement in an armed robbery.
The gang, specializing in kidnapping, was responsible for several kidnappings between 2021 and 2023, including the attack on Apostle Johnson Suleiman’s convoy.
Adejobi highlighted that two members of the gang were killed in separate encounters with the police before the entire gang was apprehended.
The suspect revealed that the gang kidnapped a prominent oil dealer in Jetu, Auchi, in 2022 and obtained a ransom of approximately N70 million for his release.
They also kidnapped a businessman along the Benin-Agbor expressway in 2022 and collected a ransom of N20 million from the victim’s family.
Regarding the attack on the Apostle, the suspect confirmed it was an assassination attempt but stated he did not have all the details of the operation as he was not part of the planning. However, he acknowledged his role as the masked man during the operation.
In addition to the arrest of the suspects involved in the attack on Apostle Johnson Suleiman’s convoy, CSP Adejobi provided an update on the police’s recent achievements.
He revealed that within the past two months, 1,412 suspects had been arrested for various violent crimes, including armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, and rape/defilement.
The police also recovered 350 illicit firearms and 4,055 rounds of ammunition during this period.
Adejobi mentioned specific successes, such as the arrest of five suspects in Abuja for conspiracy and kidnapping. These suspects were involved in the kidnapping of a foreign national, from whom they obtained a ransom of $2,000.
Furthermore, the police have been actively combating non-state actors in the South East enforcing illegal sit-at-home orders.
Operations in Enugu, Imo, and Ebonyi States resulted in neutralizing suspects, making arrests, and recovering firearms, ammunition, and other exhibits.
IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun reiterated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure the safety and security of all citizens.
He emphasized the determination of the force to suppress and decimate criminal activities and the actions of non-state actors causing harm to law-abiding members of society.
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