Kwara State Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with the kidnap of a magistrate, Jumoke Bamigboye last Saturday, November 5, 2022, just as the victim regained her freedom on Monday, November 7.
This was disclosed by the police spokesman in the state, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, in a statement on Tuesday, November 8.
Mrs Bamigboye, who is also the wife of former military administrator of Bauchi and Osun states, Col. Theophilus Bamigboye (rtd), was abducted in her farm located at Ayegun Village via Eyenkorin, Ilorin at about 5:30pm.
Those arrested included three males and a female.
The male suspects were identified as Abubakar Ibrahim,
Mamud Ibrahim and Muhamed Kiri while the female was named Abibatu Jimoh.
The PPRO said that the female suspect was discovered to be the supplier of Gaari (cassava flakes) and other food items with which the victim was fed while in captivity.
In the statement, SP Ajayi said that when the information was received at about 6pm, the state Commissioner of Police, Paul Odama, promptly dispatched a team of Anti-Kidnapping Unit, assisted by vigilante groups and local hunters to the scene to comb and search for possible rescue of the victim.
“The victim was geo-located to have been hidden in the forest between Eyenkorin/Afon/ Ogbomoso axis.
“This discovery emboldened the police teams to intensify their search, rescue and arrest operation in the located area which consequently culminated in the release of the victim,” he stated.
The efforts of the police and vigilante teams also led to the recovery of the victim’s vehicle and the arrest of the three male suspects, the PPRO added.
He said that investigation into the matter was ongoing as efforts were in top gear to arrest the remaining kidnappers.
The police spokesman disclosed that the magistrate had been reunited with her family after medical examination to ascertain her health condition.
Expressing sympathy with the victim and her family over the unpleasant and traumatic experience during her being held hostage by the abductors, the police commissioner said that the police would not relent in its attempt to reduce crime to the barest minimum in the state.
CP Odana advised the people of Kwara state to be vigilant and conscious of happenings around them at all times and to monitor the activities of strange faces patronizing them.
The CP assured that the arrested suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation into the case is concluded.
Thenewsbearer learnt that Mrs. Bamigboye, also a member of Rotary Club International, was abducted by gunmen in Oko Olowo area in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State while returning from her farm where she had gone to supervise garri processing.
The kidnappers reportedly demanded a ransom of N100 million before she would regain her freedom, but it was negotiated to N50 million.
