Detectives from the Lagos police Command have dragged two men to court for allegedly aiding some kidnap suspects to escape arrest in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

 The Ikorodu area of the state has been a hotbed of abductions in recent times, with the kidnappers believed to be militants dislodged from their pipeline vandalism and illegal sale of petroleum products businesses storming the town incessantly to abduct people on which they demand ransom before they free them.

  Last month, on April 9, 2017, the kidnappers raided the Isawo area of the town and killed an Army officer, four policemen and a member of the Oodu’a vigilante group before escaping with seven victims.

 Security operatives have since been combing the Ikorodu creeks to fish out the kidnappers. On April 18, 2017, the operatives succeeded in killing a kingpin of the militants, Endurance Ominisan, alias Mighty, said to have been involved in the deadly Isawo attack.

 Also about 3:00a.m. of last Monday, the security operatives also since killed in Ondo State one Ossy Ibori they described as leader of a militant group that has been terrorising Isawo and other neighbouring creeks and mastermind of the high profile kidnappings in Lagos and Ogun states over the last one year.

   A police source told City News that security operatives could have recorded more success in the raid on the militants’ hideouts in the Ikorodu creeks but for leaks to the kidnappers tipping them off on the operatives’ operation.  

 Police investigation came up with two suspects who have been alleged to be informants to the kidnappers, who were arrested in Owutu, an area in Ikorodu town and have, consequently, been arraigned in court. 

 One of the suspects, Kehinde Omoni, 36, was dragged before an Ebute Meta chief magistrate’s court in Lagos State for allegedly passing vital information about the movement of security agencies to some kidnap suspects in Isawo, while the other, Matthew Ebiwari, 47, was accused of aiding the escape of some notorious kidnappers in Agbowa, also in Ikorodu.

 Omoni is facing a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and aiding the escape of alleged kidnappers.

 The prosecutor, Inspector Julius Babatope, told the court that the accused committed the offences on April 14, 2017 at Isawo in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

 Chief magistrate Olajuwon also granted Ebiwari bail in the sum of N200,000 with two responsible and gainfully employed sureties in like sum. She adjourned the case until May 30, 2017 for trial.

POSTED BY:OPUOMONI PRIYE

DATE:05/04/2017