The Edo State Police Command has arrested a 52-year-old Islamic teacher, Jubril Ibrahim, over allegations that he prepared charms for suspected kidnappers operating in Edo North.
Ibrahim was paraded alongside four suspected kidnappers and six other suspects at the command headquarters in Benin City on Tuesday.
The state Commissioner of Police, Patrick Daor, said the suspected kidnappers were arrested in Niger State following intelligence-led operations by the command.
However, Ibrahim denied having any involvement in kidnapping or preparing charms for criminals.
He explained that his relationship with one of the suspects, 24-year-old Ahmadu Suleiman, was limited to offering prayers for him at the request of his mother.
According to the Islamic teacher, he runs an Almajiri school where he teaches the Quran and had been asked by Suleiman’s mother to pray for her son because he frequently travelled.
Ibrahim admitted that he knew Suleiman possessed a firearm but maintained that his role was only to pray for his safety.
Suleiman, however, reportedly confessed to participating in a kidnapping operation in Auchi, Edo State.
The suspect told journalists through an interpreter that he had worked with different kidnapping groups in parts of the country and usually returned to his base in Niger State after operations.
He disclosed that he received N1m from the Auchi operation, which he claimed was the only kidnapping operation he participated in within the area.
Suleiman further explained that the gang targeted communities by identifying houses and vehicles that suggested their occupants were wealthy.
He said the gang members would allegedly enter a community, fire shots into the air and seize people who attempted to flee before taking them into the bush and demanding ransom.
Meanwhile, the police also paraded a 21-year-old suspect over the alleged theft of a baby at Ring Road, Benin City.
The command also displayed a recovered stolen vehicle as part of the items recovered during its operations.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, attributed the arrests and recoveries to intelligence supplied to operatives of the command.
She urged residents to continue providing credible information to the police, stressing that timely intelligence remained vital to preventing criminal activities and apprehending suspects.
The suspects are expected to face further investigation and possible prosecution as the police continue their probe into the allegations.