Police arrest six of the Fulani herdsmen who abducted former finance minister Olu Falae

altSIX of the 13 kidnappers who recently abducted former finance minister and secretary to the federal government Chief Olu Falae have been arrested by the police after they were traced to a hideout in Niger State.

 

On September 21, Chief Falae, 77, was abducted from his farm near the Ondo State capital Akure, by armed hoodlums said to be Fulani herdsmen. His kidnappers, who overpowered his security at the farm in Ago-Abo near Akure, where he has worked since his retirement from public service, eventually released Chief Falae after receiving N5m (£17,000) in ransom from his family.

 

Following the abduction, President Muhammadu Buhari tasked the police with finding the criminals behind the act and it appears that after a nationwide search, the hoodlums have been found with one of them even caught with the money. Six of the abductors, were apprehended at separate locations in Niger, Ondo and Ekiti states, by a team of Special Intelligence Squad, deployed by the inspector general of police Solomon Arase.

 

Although the Ondo State  Police Command is yet to neither confirm nor deny the arrest, competent family sources confirmed the nabbing of the criminals. Three of the abductors were apprehended in Niger State and will soon be paraded in Akure but seven others are still on the run.

 

Four of the suspects were reportedly arrested last week Sunday, while the other two were picked up during the week. Apparently, the suspects have made confessional statements, which will be used in evidence against them when they are charged to court.

 

Femi Joseph, a spokesman for the Ondo State Police Command, said: "The kidnapping of Chief Falae was a national  issue and it has been taken over by the inspector general of police (IGP). All issues that have to do with Chief Falae are being handled by the IGP himself."

 

Various Yoruba groups have condemned the activities of Fulani herdsmen in southwestern Nigeria, saying the government needs to stop them. They claim these herdsmen, who are heavily armed with AK47s, destroy crops and when confronted result to violence.

Comments