Police rescue 3 kidnap victims, arrest murder suspect

The Police in Edo on Tuesday said they rescued three kidnapped traditional worshippers at a river on the Benin-Abraka road where they went for prayers.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu in Benin.

She said the command, through its divisional headquarters at Ugo, received a complaint that hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers accosted and whisked into the bush three traditional worshippers who had gone to a river on the Benin-Abraka road for prayers.

‘Upon receipt of the information, Divisional Police Officer Ugo immediately mobilised his operatives to the scene in hot pursuit of the hoodlums and possible rescue of the victims.

“The hoodlums, sensing the presence of the operatives on their trail, were forced to abandon their victims and fled into the bush,” she said.

She, however, said that the victims had since been reunited with their families, adding that bush-combing had commenced to neutralise or arrest the hoodlums.

In a related development, Iwegbu said Favor Oyhou, who was alleged to have stabbed her boyfriend, Paul Handsome, 25, to death in Auchi on July 23, had been arrested.

She said that “upon this dastardly act, the Commissioner of Police, CP Abutu Yaro, immediately ordered the Area Commander and the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Auchi to smoke out the fleeing girl unhurt, when the case was reported”.

She added that following credible intelligence gathering by operatives of the command, the suspect was arrested in Benin on Monday.

Iwegbu also said that investigation had commenced and the suspect was giving useful information and would be charged to court soon.