EDO POLICE ARREST ISLAMIC TEACHER, FOUR SUSPECTED KIDNAPPERS OVER ALLEGED CRIMINAL SUPPORT

The Edo State Police Command has arrested a 52-year-old Islamic teacher, Jubril Ibrahim, alongside four suspected kidnappers allegedly involved in criminal activities across parts of Edo North Senatorial District.

Ibrahim was paraded at the command headquarters in Benin City together with the suspected kidnappers and six other individuals arrested for various offences. The Commissioner of Police, Patrick Daor, said the suspected kidnappers were apprehended in Niger State following intelligence gathered by police operatives. The arrests are part of ongoing efforts to dismantle kidnapping networks operating around the Auchi, Jattu and Okpella areas of Edo State.

The police accused Ibrahim of preparing charms allegedly intended for members of the kidnapping syndicate. However, the Islamic teacher rejected the allegation, insisting that his involvement with one of the suspects, 24-year-old Ahmadu Suleiman, was purely religious.

Speaking through an interpreter, Ibrahim explained that Suleiman’s mother had approached him to pray for her son because he travelled frequently. According to the teacher, his role was to pray for Suleiman’s safety during his journeys and to teach Almajiri children the Qur’an.

When questioned about Suleiman’s possession of a firearm, however, Ibrahim reportedly acknowledged that he knew the suspect had an AK-47 rifle. The admission is expected to form part of the police investigation into the nature of his relationship with the suspected kidnapper and whether he had any knowledge of or involvement in the gang’s activities.

Suleiman, meanwhile, allegedly confessed to participating in a kidnapping operation in Auchi. He claimed that he had worked with different kidnapping syndicates in other parts of the country before returning to his base in Niger State.

According to his account, members of the gang would identify houses they considered attractive before firing shots into the air to frighten residents. He alleged that as people fled their homes in fear, the gang would seize some of them and take them into the bush before demanding ransom payments.

Suleiman claimed that he received ₦1 million from the Auchi operation, which he described as the only kidnapping incident he participated in within that area. He also denied that the gang relied on informants within communities, saying the members instead selected targets by looking at expensive buildings and vehicles.

The police said the suspected kidnappers had been terrorising communities within Edo North, particularly around Auchi, Jattu and Okpella. Their arrest in Niger State followed intelligence-led efforts by the command to identify and disrupt criminal networks operating across state boundaries.

In addition to the kidnapping-related arrests, the police also paraded a 21-year-old suspect accused of stealing a baby at Ring Road in Benin City. A stolen vehicle was also reportedly recovered during the security operation.

The command's Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, attributed the arrests to intelligence gathered by police operatives and appealed to residents to continue providing credible information that could assist security agencies in preventing criminal activities and apprehending suspects.

The arrests come amid intensified police operations against kidnapping and other violent crimes in Edo State. Authorities have continued to rely on intelligence gathering, inter-state cooperation and targeted operations to identify suspected members of criminal networks and disrupt their activities.

While the police have accused Ibrahim of preparing charms for suspected kidnappers, his denial means the allegation remains subject to investigation. The eventual determination of his involvement will depend on the evidence gathered by investigators and any subsequent legal proceedings.