By Kamil Opeyemi
The Police on Thursday said they have arrested a suspect over the Oct. 21, 2022 attack on the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleiman, the General Overseer, Omega Fire Ministeries along Benin-Auchi road.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi disclosed this at a media briefing in Abuja.
Adejobi said the suspect was a member of the seven-man gang responsible for the attack on the convoy of the clergyman where six people, including three police officers were gruesomely murdered.
He said the suspect was apprehended following intensive investigation into the fatal attack on the convoy, adding that he will be charged for conspiracy, attempted murder and murder.
Adejobi said five AK47 Rifles, 2 K2 Assault rifles, 180 live ammunition and four suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) were recovered from the suspect’s apartment.
The police spokesman said some of the rifles recovered from the suspect were rifles snatched from the three police officers murdered during the attack.
According to him, the suspect has confessed that he joined the vicious gang in 2021 after his release from Olokuta Correctional Center where he has been on remand since 2019 for alleged involvement in armed robbery.
Adejobi said the gang which specialises in kidnapping, had carried out about four kidnap operations between 2021 and 2023, including the attack on the convoy of the clergyman.
“Before the gang was eventually bursted by the Police, two of its members were gunned down in separate encounters with the police.
“The suspect confessed that the gang was responsible for the kidnap of a popular oil dealer at Jetu, Auchi in 2022, where they obtained a ransom of about N70 million before his release.
“The gang equally carried out the kidnap of a businessman along Benin-Agbor expressway in 2022 and collected N20 million as ransom from the victim’s family.
“Their last attempt at kidnapping after the failed attack on the Apostle was along Owo-Ikare road where they were heavily engaged and repelled by the police escort accompanying their target,” he said.
Adejobi added that efforts have being intensified to arrest other fleeing members of the gang.