Couple held for ‘aiding’ kidnapping in Kogi

James Azania, Lokoja

THE Kogi State police command has arrested a man Woli Apara and his wife, for allegedly aiding and abbetting kidnapping in Ogori/Magongo in Kogi Central.

Command spokesman William Aya told our correspondent on Friday in Lokoja, the state capital, that while Apara was arrested for providing information to  kidnappers, his wife was held for cooking for them at their base in the bush.

Some sources said that no fewer than six people were kidnapped along the Ageva/Ogori Road between March 12 and mid last week by gunmen.

It was learnt that kidnappers shifted their base to Okene, Ogori/Magongogo and the Ageva/Ogori area in the last two weeks.

This followed the aerial and ground bombardments of flashpoints in Kogi West and Kogi East in the last two weeks by security operatives in the state.

A source said that a woman and her daughter were abducted along Akpafa Magongo highway on  March 12, 2020.

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The victims were said to have boarded a taxi on their way to Akpafa Local Government Area when they were abducted.

“On Friday 12th, another kidnap incident took place in the evening along the Magongo-Okene Road and from there they crossed over to Ogori Road where their suspected camp is said to be located.

“On Tuesday 17th at about 4.00pm, a man identified as Anchorman was kidnapped on his way back to Ogori from Okene, on his motorcycle along Ogori-Okene Road.

”On getting to their said camp, he met another victim there, while one person identified as Woli Apara living in the community was also found at the camp,” he said.

One Toyin, a sales managerm, was kidnapped.

Aya, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said that a joint task force of police, vigilance personnel and the army were drafted to the area and have successfully rescued all the victims, while Woli Apara and his wife have been arrested and are providing useful information to the police.

The women in the area have reportedly embarked on prayers to avert kidnapping in Ogori and Magongo.