The Kogi State Police command has arrested a couple, Woli Apara and his wife, for allegedly aiding and abbetting kidnappers in Ogori/Magongo in Kogi Central.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. William Aya told our correspondent, on Sunday in Lokoja, that the couple were arrested for providing information to the kidnappers, cooking for the abductors at their base in the bush.
Unconfirmed accounts had it that no fewer than six people were kidnapped along the Ageva/Ogori road between March 12 and last Wednesday, by unknown gunmen.
It was learnt that kidnappers shifted their base to Okene, Ogori/Magongogo and the Ageva/Ogori axis terrorising unsuspecting public in the area in last two weeks.
This followed the aerial and ground bombardments of hitherto flash points in Kogi West and Kogi East in the last two weeks by security operatives in the state.
A source told journalists that a woman and her daughter were abducted along Akpafa Magongo highway on 12th March, 2020.
The victims were said to have boarded a taxi on their way to Akpafa LG when the incident occured.
“On Friday 12th, another kidnap incident took place in the evening along the Magongo-Okene road and from there they crossed over to Ogori road where their suspected camp is said to be located.
“On Tuesday 17th at about 4.00pm, a man who was identified as Anchorman was kidnapped on his way back to Ogori from Okene, on his motorcycle along Ogori-Okene road.
“On getting to their said camp, he met another victim there, while one person identified as “Woli Apara” living in the community was also found at the camp,” he said.
The would have been victims were said to have escaped miraculously, while the people of the area are yet to fully recover from the incidents, when the kidnappers again strike around 5.00pm.
One Toyin, A sales manager at the Health Essential pure water factory was kidnapped.
Aya, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, however said that a joint task force of police, vigilante and the Army were drafted to the area and have successfully rescued all the victims, while Woli Apara and his wife have been arrested and are providing useful information to the police.
Meanwhile, the women were said to have embarked on a prayer session, to ward off incidents of kidnapping in the twin town of Ogori and Magongo.