Igbo Nla Model College Abduction: Police Arrest Three Suspected Kidnappers

The Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has arrested three suspects in connection with last Thursday’s kidnap of six male students of Igbo Nla Model College, Epe in Lagos state (read here).

According to PUNCH, a source said they were arrested in Benin City, Edo state after they came out of the creeks to visit one of their members who was injured in a gun battle with security operatives.

”Some arrests have been made. Specifically, three of the gang members have been arrested. Some of them got injured in the Friday gun battle. One of the injured was taken to Benin for treatment.

The three suspects came out from the creek to visit him in Benin. The IRT team struck immediately and arrested them. They have already confessed to the kidnapping of the six pupils and they are cooperating with us. There is serious effort to rescue the children and arrest other members of the gang,” a source said.

We had earlier reported that the gunmen stormed the school premises at about 6am last Thursday, after writing to the school authorities three days earlier, informing them about the attack.

They broke the hostel doors, seized 10 Senior Secondary School pupils and led them to the shore where their boat was anchored.

Four of the pupils were later released after the gunmen profiled their parents backgrounds while they whisked away the remaining six pupils, identified as Peter Jonah, Isiaq Rahmon, Adebayo George, Judah Agbausi, Pelumi Philips and Farouq Yusuf, in a speedboat.

The kidnappers had earlier called some parents of the victims on Saturday demanding N400m each from two parents while two others were asked to pay N100m each.

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The ransom was reduced to N600m on Tuesday, when parents of each child were asked to pay N100m. The Lagos State Government had, however; declined ransom negotiation with the kidnappers, insisting that they would be freed by the security agencies.

Details of the suspects were given as Endurance Egelu, aka Jubby, 25; Stanley Irabomini, aka Powei, 25; and Endurance Bentel, 24

Another officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the suspects ”also confessed to have participated in the kidnappings of prominent personalities in Lagos and Ogun states, including the Oniba of Iba and pupils and staff members of the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges, Isheri.”

Photo credit: Punch