Police arrest four suspected kidnappers of health minister’s brother

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The police in Edo State have arrested four persons suspected to have kidnapped the brother of the Minister of State for Health, Mr. Andy Ehanire.

It was gathered that the suspects were arrested in Sapele and other communities in Delta State.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, confirmed the development to our correspondent on Friday.

“They (suspects) have made confessions. They have also told us the different roles all of them played,” Kokumo said.

Andy, who is the younger brother of Dr. Osagie Ehanire, was abducted on September 24, 2017, at Ogba Zoo and Nature Park in Benin, where he served as the Director.

The abductors had gained access to the zoo, disguising as fun seekers, even as one of them had engaged Ehanire in a friendly conversation in order to distract him.

The kidnappers shot dead three policemen on duty, after offering them bottles of beer, and took their victim to an undisclosed location.

They had later contacted his family and demanded a ransom of N350 million before he was released in Delta State on October 14.

However, it was learnt that the suspects received the sum of N61 million as ransom before their victim regained his freedom.

They were said to have allegedly got an initial payment of N25 million before collecting the sum of $100,000.

But the police commissioner dismissed the claims.

A source, who did not want to be named, disclosed that the sum of N800, 000, alleged to be part of the ransom, was recovered from the wife of one of the suspects.

The source explained, “One of the suspected kidnappers whose recording at the police station has gone viral said they earlier attempted to carry out the abduction twice, but were prevented by the presence of policemen.

“The suspect said it was in the third attempt that they shot the three policemen and took their target away through the waterways. He said they attempted to burn the vehicle they used, but there were no matches to ignite a fire.”

But Kokumo said, “No. The victim is not even within now. Upon release, the victim took time off; he is not even within Nigeria. That statement about ransom is not confirmed. But what I can confirm authoritatively is the arrest of the suspects.”

Meanwhile, the commissioner said that the police would take necessary steps to ensure that the funeral costs of the slain cops were taken care of.

The commissioner explained, “We have a package. We have burial expenses that the police pay usually when there is an incident like this in nature.

“The police will take necessary steps to ensure that the funeral expenses are taken care of and a befitting burial is organised for the slain policemen. We will treat them as fallen heroes because they died in the course of duty.”