Two uniform personnel dismissed officer arrested over Emefiele kidnap

T wo and a dismissed military personnel, have been arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, for their alleged involvement in the kidnap of the wife of Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Margaret Emefiele and three others, last Friday.

Six other suspects were earlier arrested by police, following a directive from the Inspector General of Police, who deployed reconnaissance helicopter, sniffing dogs and his operatives of the IRT to Delta and Edo states.

The arrest of the military personnel, who were picked up in Auchi and Benin in Edo State and Otupko in Benue State, has increased the number of suspects arrested in connection with the kidnap of the CBN Governor's wife to nine.

Vanguard gathered that six of the suspects were Fulani herdsmen, while the three serving and dismissed military personnel were from Gombe, Benue and Delta states.

Share of loot

It was further gathered that the two serving military personnel arrested had bought two exotic cars with their share of the loot, while the dismissed soldier had bought a car and also rented an apartment with his share few days after the operation.

A source at the Edo State Police Command disclosed that the military officer arrested in Benue State was found with an unregistered Honda Accord saloon car and millions of naira.

His serving colleague, who was arrested in Auchi, was said to have stashed his share with his relatives in Anambra State.

Mrs Emefiele and three others were abducted last Friday on the Benin-Agbor Expressway.

Her police escorts were said to have been overpowered as the hoodlums opened fire on them.

After kidnapping her, the abductors demanded a N100 million ransom.

Sources at Police High Command, Abuja, said that a large part of the ransom had been recovered and that the IRT operatives, led by Abba Kyari, were on the trail of the three remaining members of the gang.