By Francis Sadhere

The Delta State Police Command has gunned down three suspected armed gang suspected to be the remnant of Kelvin kidnap syndicate at Isiokolo, headquarters of Ethiope Ethiope Local Government Area of the state, just as it also arrested one Mr. Jason Obasogie for attempting to kidnap one Miss Rita Myers, a student of Western Delta University Oghara, at Keldor Hotel Oghara.

According to a police statement signed by the Delta State Acting Police Public Relation Officer, DSP. Charlse Muka, and made available to our correspondent, the three armed gang were shot dead during a gun battle with men of the Isiokolo Police Station when the armed gang numbering about twenty invaded the police station.

The statement said, at about 1730hrs armed men suspected to be remnants of Kelvin kidnap syndicate attacked 222 Battalion of Nigeria Army patrol men at Isiokolo and inflicted injuries on them. The same armed hoodlums numbering about twenty also invaded the Police Station Isiokolo.

 

“However, the Policemen on duty resisted the dire hard criminals. In the ensuing gun battle, three of the hoodlums were gunned down, while others escaped in a waiting Toyota Siena vehicle with bullet wounds.

 

The statement added that the hoodlums that escaped in the Toyota Siena vehicle with bullet wounds later abandoned the vehicle at a swampy spot when it got stocked.

DSP Muka further said that the injured Captain and two of his men were receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital, while the abandoned vehicle was recovered to the station, adding that efforts are on to apprehend the fleeing gangs.

In a similar development the police also arrested one kidnapper that was trying to kidnap his victim at a hotel in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government area of Delta State.

 

According to the statement, luck ran out of the suspected kidnapper when he was trying to suffocate his victim with a liquid socked in a handkerchief in a hotel in Oghara, when the victim raised an alarm that led to his arrest.

The statement reads, “At about 2030hrs, armed hoodlums attempted to kidnap one Rita Myers f, a student of Western Delta University Oghara at Keldor Hotel Oghara. Sequel to that, patrol team was dispatched to the scene where they arrested one Jason Obasogie m of No. 2 Ehare close, Sapele Road, Benin City Edo state.

“The victim revealed that she was invited to the Hotel by a friend and on getting there, the suspect who was wearing a mask attempted to suffocate her with a liquid soaked handkerchief. She raised alarm which led to the apprehension of the suspect.”

Meanwhile, the statement said the suspect has confessed to the crime, and that investigation into the matter is in progress.