Ogun State Police have arrested a family of eight persons over the kidnap of eight people in Sagamu area of Ogun State.
Five of the syndicate, Oweniwe Okpara and three of his children namely; Samson Okpara, Bright Okpara and Eze Okpara as well as one Christian Ishaha and Emmanuel Joseph were paraded in Sagamu while the other three children of Okpara who were the armed squad, Godwin Okpara, Godspower Okpara and Mathew Okpara are in the Delta State Police custody.
The father, Okpara was said to have been a farmer on a farmland at the Aiyepe-Ijebu road which was turned into the group’s camp ground.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi while parading the suspect in Sagamu said that the state Commissioner of police, Edward Ajogun had given a matching order following series of reported kidnap cases in Sagamu.
While thanking the Sagamu security operatives in Sagamu for supporting the Sagamu Police Division, Oyeyemi added that three members of the family who were on the run when others were arrested in Sagamu had been apprehended in Delta state.
Oyeyemi said, “In compliance with the CP’s directive, the DPO of Sagamu division CSP Okiki Agunbiade and his crack detectives with the support of Sagamu security council under Akarigbo of Remo land embarked on intelligence and technical based investigation, which led to the arrest of one Oweniwe Okpara from Delta state and three of his children namely; Samson Okpara, Bright Okpara and Eze Okpara as well as one Christian Ishaha who accommodated them. They were all arrested in Ajaka area of Sagamu for their roles in the kidnap of 8 persons at different times in Sagamu and other areas.
“In the course of investigation, it was discovered that three other members of the family constituting the criminal gang namely; Godwin Okpara, Godspower Okpara and Mathew Okpara are the armed squad of the syndicate, while Samson, Bright and Eze Okpara were the one spying on their targeted victims.
“One Emmanuel Joseph, a native of Ebele in Edo state was later recruited into the fold, having confronted their sister Eze Okpara to tell him the source of money they used to count everyday. They subsequently opened up to him that they are into kidnap business and he also joined them.
Having heard about the arrest of their father and their 3 siblings, Godwin, Godspower and Mathew Okpara took to flight and ran to Delta state with their operational car and their arms where they were subsequently apprehended by the Delta state police command after carrying out another kidnapping there.
“Their camp located at a forest in Ayepe-ijebu where their father used to farm before converting it to a camp was located by policemen led by the Dpo Sagamu and subsequently destroyed. Items recovered at the camp include; three expended cartridges, cooking gas, tarpaulin, cooking utensils, women bags and twine.”
One of the victims, a 53 year electronics dealer, Okechukwu Onwubiko kidnapped on the 4th of June 2020 said he had once been attacked by armed robbers. He disclosed that he gained freedom from kidnappers den seven days after his family had paid #5m ransom.
Also kidnapped was a RCCG Pastor, Omotayo Sobowale, who runs a POS business, on the 16th of June 2020. He said he was shown leniency when he told them he is a pastor but had to do away with #1m to regain freedom in 24 hours. He identified one of the suspects to have come looking for job in his company.
Others kidnapped were Lamidi Akeem on the 20th of July 2020, Olufunke Areoye on the 3rd of November 2020, Adijat Adeleye on the 11th of November 2020, Ashaye Olayinka on the 12th of November and Demilade Sonuga.
Oyeyemi who said the commissioner expressed satisfaction with the apprehension of the syndicate, called on cooperation of the public in providing adequate security in the state.