Oyo State Police Command has arrested Daniel Duru, a notorious kingpin responsible for the abduction of Senator Iyabo Anisulowo and several prominent Nigerians between 2015 and 2017.
Duru, who confessed to have kidnapped influential Nigerians, was arrested with 42 other criminal suspects.
The suspected kidnapper, an ex-convict, was arrested in 2016 and charged to court.
He was however granted bail in January 2018.
Addressing newsmen at the weekend while, parading the suspected armed robbers Oyo Commissioner of Police Abiodun Odude, said barely four months after the 31-year old suspected kidnapper was released from the Agodi Prison, he formed another armed robbery gang, which operated along the Ibadan/Ijebu-Ode axis, terrorising, maiming and robbing motorists of their valuables.
Other members of the gang arrested by the police included Umaru Mohammed, 23, also an ex-convict who admitted to have served jail term in Lokoja Prison and Aminu Abubakar, 22, the gang’s armourer, a herdsman procuring arms from one Sara (at large) in Zamfara State.
Some of the exhibits recovered from them include three AK 49 rifles, one English-made pistol, 87 rounds of 7.63mm live ammunition and 16 expended 7.62 ammunition.
Also, a soldier Private Azeez Olaide, 22, confessed to series of criminal acts ranging from kidnapping, robbery and rape along with two members of his gang, Ibrahim Lawal 22, who claimed to have deserted the Nigerian Army Depot, Zaria in 2014 and Kehinde Adeniji, 29.
The soldier, as at the time of his arrest, serves in 202 Battalion Bama, Maiduguri in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.
The Police Commissioner said Private Olaide has been responsible for robbery incidents in some parts of the state in recent times.
“The modus operandi of the suspects who were usually clad in military camouflage /fatigues was to go about kidnapping people, robbing them and sexually abusing female victims.
“The suspects armed had been carrying out these criminal activities for some time until nemesis caught up with them recently.
“The suspects armed with guns, jack knife, and other dangerous weapons abducted one Rasak Michael and his girlfriend, Rashidat at Mobile area Oluyole, Ibadan on 31 April and took them into a hotel where they were kept till the day before they were released.
“While in captivity, the suspects took turns to rape the female victim and videotaped the sexual escapade for purpose of blackmail in future.
“The suspects also stole ATM cards having forcefully obtained PIN numbers of the cards and unlawfully withdrew a large sum of money from their bank accounts,” Odude told newsmen.
Items recovered from them are four pairs of military fatigue, a pair of military desert boot, a fake military ID card, a jack knife, seven different ATM cards belonging to victims, two mobile phones, a Rolex wrist watch and a gold necklace, one WIFI and N135,000 cash.
Also, apprehended were members of vigilante group who confessed to have conspired with a gang to rob the community which paid them for security
