Operatives of Nigeria Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) deployed to Cross River State Command from the office of the Inspector General of Police have succeeded in the arrest of six notorious kidnappers who were involved in the kidnap of Mrs Ekwele Ignatius Agube, wife to Justice Ignatius Agube of the Court of Appeal.

They were paraded with 28 other suspects of sundry crimes on Thursday in Cross River State Command headquarters by the Commissioner of Police, CP Abdulkadir Jimoh.

The CP recently posted to the State Command disclosed that the notorious kidnapping suspects had killed an aid to Mrs Agube in the course of their crime before she regained her freedom after 15 days.

Briefing newsmen in Calabar, CP Abdulkadir said two locally made Pistols were recovered during the arrest and the suspects arrested confessed to having kidnapped Mrs Ekwele Ignatius Agube and many other innocent citizens in Cross River State.

The CP disclosed that despite his short stay in the command, tremendous success has been recorded as the command’s assiduous efforts have yielded positive results which led to the apprehension of 34 suspects, paraded.

A breakdown of the suspects paraded showed 10 on armed robbery, 6 on kidnapping, 6 on cultism, 5 on murder, 3 on sea pirates, 2 on rape and one each on Unlawful possession of firearm and drug vendor.

He said that the command has strategized and mapped out an onslaught on cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping and other social vices across the state and will never renege on these no matter whose ox is gored.

According to him:

“The Command will not stop soliciting the support of Traditional Institutions, Religious leaders, Youths/Community leaders, Civil Liberty Organizations and the Political class to join hand with the Police to fight these hydra-headed monsters that tend to shatter the peace of the state.”

The names of the six suspected kidnappers paraded were given as NseNse Otu Bassey (aka The Lion, the gang leader), Edet Ebe (29 years), Christopher Effaeyo (28 years), Bassey Effiong (30 years), Etim Effiong (30 years), Louis Otu Bassey (35 years).