The Department of State Security has arrested 28 suspected kidnappers nationwide within six days.
The service stated that it apprehended the suspects across various states in the South-South, South-West and the North-West regions between July 20 and 26, 2015.
A statement by an official of the DSS, Tony Opuiyo, on Saturday in Abuja, said the DSS, initiated series of special tactical operations in states prone to the nefarious activities of criminal gangs.
The operations, it added, succeeded in the capture of the masterminds and other facilitators of kidnapping syndicates amongst who was one Victor Afikparobo who was picked up on July 20, 2015 at Owheologbo, Isoko North LGA of Delta State.
The suspect, the DSS said, is a key member of the ‘Federa’ gang, a kidnap syndicate which perpetrated series of kidnap incidents within the Ikorodu/Otta axis of Lagos State. Opuiyo added that the arrest had given further leads on the gang leader of the ‘Federa’ kidnap syndicate.
The service further claimed to have arrested three suspects, including one John Felix aka Austin, Rowson Anufa aka Amori and Obukoko Emoabe, a local herbalist to the group on July 22 at Ovara Orugun village in Ughelli North LGA, Delta State.
The trio are said to be key members of the kidnap gang that terrorised the Lagos-Ikorodu road, and Owo, Ondo State, the agency stated.
On July, 24, the DSS also apprehended Joseph Ojobor aka Chairman, the reported leader of the Lagos cell of the ‘Federa’ kidnap syndicate at Uduere, village in Ughelli North LGA, Delta State. The DSS said he had also been linked to some incidents of oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism.
It said, “Also, on the same July 24, about 0500 hours, the team arrested another member of the Lagos cell of the ‘Federa’ kidnap syndicate, one Timothy Japheth in his house at Onokpasa Avenue in Okhan village in Ughelli North LGA, Delta State.
“Earlier, on July 19, another member of the notorious gang, one Howell Anufa, was apprehended by the service. The suspect was instrumental to the kidnap of the Regent of Akungba in Ondo State.
“Anufa also participated in the spate of kidnap incidents, carried out by the gang in Lagos and Ogun States respectively, before he relocated to Warri, Delta State, where he was eventually arrested.”
The service also said it arrested one member of the Ekiti kidnap syndicate, Ayodeji Oluwafemi and Rachael Oladapo, a female, who was used by the gang as a reconnaissance spy and informant.
“In a follow-up tactical raid in Ekiti State, five other members of the notorious Ekiti kidnap gang were intercepted by operatives of the DSS and they are: Felix Omaiwa, Bose Ajayi, Tope Gabriel, Olayemi Ogunmola and Damilola Obamoyegun,” the DSS said, adding that operations to apprehend fleeing members of some of the identified kidnap gangs were ongoing.”
