Edo Police Arrest Twin Brothers For Kidnapping, Parade Several Suspects

FROM IGNATIUS OKPARA, Benin city – The Edo state police command has nabbed twin brothers, identified as Stephen Odion Ehikioya and Stephen Akhere Ehikioy,‎ both 26 years old, for alleged kidnapping.

According to the police, the suspects, along side one Stephen Ehikioya, age 33, suspected to be the older brother of the suspects, were said to have ambushed one Alfred along Era-Ekpoma road, shot him in the leg and kept him in a forest for four days.

They latter set the victim free after receiving a ransom of N500,000 from his relatives.

Parading the abductors Thursday in Benin city along side other arrested suspects apprehended for various crimes,the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Samuel Adegbuyi, disclosed that the kidnappers and others at large had earlier abducted an evangelist, who was later released after the payment of N1 million ransom.

The Edo police boss, said they also attempted to abduct a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police ACP some time ago.

Adegbuyi, added that the police recovered one Qlink motorcycle marked “URU DFD QD” and a Toyota Dianna Truck with registration number plate NZM 425 XZ.

“After their arrest, investigation revealed that the suspects had on January 11, 2015, attempted to kidnap one Inegbedion Peter ACP (retd.) whom, while escaping from their attack, sustained a gunshot injury on his hands from the kidnappers.”

On interrogation, one of the twins, ‎Akhere, explained that he was lured into the crime by another man whom he could not identify.

“Since I was born, I couldn’t afford to go to school. I was working as a labourer at Ugba‎ when a man deceived me into the act’ he told newsmen.

“When I got home, I told my brother about it; I told him that we would do it only once and stop.

“In our first attempt, we were successful and got some money from it‎.

“We were four in the group and we got N1 million in ‎total as ransom.

“But my brother and I got N500,000 and bought a vehicle with my share.

“It was in our second attempt that we were caught in a farm. The double-barrel gun we used was given to us by someone who got it from his father.

“But we couldn’t find him when we went to return it,”.

Also paraded by the CP were three armed robbery suspects,‎ two murder suspects and seven suspected kidnappers, while four persons were apprehended for alleged rape.

‎Adegbuyi, said the suspects would face the full weight of the law at the end of police investigations, just as he warned hoodlums to steer clear of the state or be ready to face the music if nabbed.