Police parade three kidnappers of 72-year- old man in Benue

THREE suspected kidnappers of a 72-year-old man, Chief Atser Ikyausu in Vandeikya Local Council of Benue State have been paraded by the State Police Command.

The state Commissioner of Police Hyacinth Dagala said the suspects namely Kwaghfan Apeakaa, Aondoana Atim and Terfa Terkura, were arrested in their hideouts while two others escaped.

“These suspects were arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a 72-year-old man, Atser Ikyuaser last Saturday. We got intelligence report and one of them was arrested, which led to the arrest of the other two in a remote area where they normally keep their victims.”

The Police boss, who urged members of the public to always avail them with useful information that would lead to the nabbing of criminals in their locality, noted that Police alone cannot solve the problem of crime in the state.

One of the suspects, Aondoana Atim, who spoke with journalists confessed committing the crime but stressed that he was invited by Kwaghfan to help in kidnapping the old man because his son has a lot of money.

“Kwaghfan told me to come and help him ride the motorcycle on which he kidnapped the old man because he didn’t know how to ride a machine. He was the one who hatched the kidnap plan, but I was in charge of giving the man food since he was diabetic.” Atim, who exonerated Terfa from the whole kidnap plan, revealed further that after successfully abducting the old man, they took him to a round hut in a forest somewhere in Kwande Local Council of the state.

Atim, who claimed to be a driver with the Nigerian Ports Authority in Port Harcourt, said it was from there that Kwaghfan was making calls and demanding a ransom of N20 million from the man’s family.

Atim, however, broke down and pleaded for forgiveness saying, “only God can forgive me for what I have done.”

“It is the work of the devil.”

The son of the aged man, Chief Athanasius Ikyausu, who commended the police for taking it upon themselves to facilitate his father’s rescue, said the family was devastated all through the period of the kidnap until news of his rescue got to them on Monday.