By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—THE Edo State Police Command says it has arrested and prosecuted sixteen suspected kidnappers in the last two months, just as it disclosed that it would increase patrol in Benin metropolis so as to check the activities of rampaging kidnappers.

In order to properly police the state, the command urged banks and other corporate organisations in the state to assist the police in purchasing vehicles and other security gadgets, noting that kidnappers are having a field day in the state due to lack of adequate police presence in the city.

The state Police spokesman, ASP Peter Ogboi, who briefed Vanguard on the efforts being made by the command to check the excesses of kidnappers in the state, disclosed that “we have already made quite a number of arrest of kidnappers and those threatening people.

I know that over sixteen kidnappers have been arrested in the last two months. Some of them have also been declared wanted. There are also attempted kidnapping cases that we equally foiled and arrested some of them.

“You will remember that one Sunny Akonobi was declared wanted and one Asolesi was also declared wanted. In that episode alone, about four of them were arrested. Now, you remember too that those who kidnapped ‘God is Good’ were arrested.

Just recently, a husband and wife were kidnapped and some of the kidnappers were arrested too. What happened was that they went to the house and kidnapped the wife, but the family did not report to the police immediately.

“So the husband went and paid N1million, but the day he took the money to them, they said it was not enough. So he was kidnapped and was taken to the creeks in Delta state.

But through covert intelligence, our men were able to arrest three of them. Then there is one community in Orhionmwon Local Government, they assisted the police in arresting two kidnappers who are Ijaw militants who attempted to kidnap an MD of a company and that led to the arrest of two of the militants and they have been charged to court” he stated.

Ogboi said however that “ we want to increase patrol in Benin metropolis but we cannot wait for government to do it alone. If we have the presence of police as much as we want it will be very difficult for kidnappers to operate and get away with it. There are so many wealthy men and banks in Edo state but the question is, what have they done to improve on the security of Edo state by way of donating vehicles or communication equipments, nothing.

“I tell you, we are talking of Lagos today, banks are funding security in Lagos state. But here just find out whether any bank, whether any Insurance Company or any of the service providers have bought even a tire for the police. I ask this question, is it proper to make money in Benin and take it back to Lagos where the headquarters are and use it to develop Lagos alone. What about improving on the security of the state where you operate.

So our people should help the police so that the police can perform better. Look at the banks in Benin so many of them but they are not contributing any thing to security. It is sad.

We need vehicles and we expect banks to come and help us it is for the best interest of all of us” he stated.