SaharaReporters gathered that the notorious kingpin and members of his gang always terrorised travellers on Auga (Ondo), Kabba (Kogi) and Ibilo (Edo) area of the three states. The other members of the gang are 19-year-old Ismaila Wakili, 33-year-old Abdullahi Sanni, 36-year-old Muhammed Abdullahi with 25-year-old Umoru Usman.
Shehu Usman, a daredevil armed robber and kidnapper wanted by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), has been arrested in Ondo State, SaharaReporters can report.
Usman, who had been on 'watchlist' of the security agent for a long time, was nabbed by crack of detectives from Ondo State Police Command, Akure.
The 30-year-old 'notorious criminal' was paraded on wednessday before journalists in Akure, the capital city.
He was nabbed alongside members of his robbery and kidnap gang at a hideout in Edo State fours year after he had been declared wanted.
Usman belonged to a six-man gang of armed robbers and kidnappers networking between Kogi, Ondo and Edo states.
SaharaReporters gathered that the notorious kingpin with members of his gang always terrorised travellers on Auga (Ondo), Kabba (Kogi) and Ibilo (Edo) area of the three states.
The other members of the gang are 19-year-old Ismaila Wakili, 33-year-old Abdullahi Sanni, 36-year-old Muhammed Abdullahi with 25-year-old Umoru Usman.
Both Usman and Ismaila Wakili are the two most dreaded members of the gang and always negotiate with other robbery and kidnap syndicates for information even on the Benin-Ore axis of Edo and Ondo borders.
The six-man gang had sent many of their victims to their early grave and also left many family members with a tale of tears, sorrow and blood.
Although, a police source told our correspondent that th 'ring leader' of the gang is currenly on the run, he expressed optimism that he would soon be arrested, paraded and prosecuted.
While speaking on the arrest of the gang, Undie Adie, Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, said his men apprehended Usman and his group at their hideout in Edo State.
Adie explaned that the gang had been terrorising motorists on the roads by robbing and kidnapping their victims for heavy ransom.
He said the last straw that finally broke the camel's back was when they abducted one Prince Omoghae Igbegbon of A3 Senior Staff Quarters, Nifor, in Edo State, on Akunnu/Auga Akoko Road in Ondo State.
"The hoodlums robbed Igbegbon of a cash in sum of N180,000 and also abducted him to the bush," he said.
"The abductors later demanded sum of N30million as ransom for his release. On April 3rd 2019, a team of policemen with some members of the vigilante group trailed the kidnappers to their den in Ibilo in Edo State.
"After an exchange of gunfire, these kidnappers fled to an unknown area and destination while the victim too escaped to a community in Ibilo. The Police placed the communities on red alert to watch out for strange face. Thereafter, one Ismaila Wakili from Niger state was arrested.
"The victim was able to recognise Wakili's face as part of those who robbed and kidnapped him, so he was handed over to the Police. Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and mentioned other members of his gang. He later led a team of detectives to the hideout of the hoodlums at the Aduwawa area of Benin City in Edo State where members of the gang were arrested."
Adie, however, mentioned some of the weapons seen with the gang to be one pump action, a double barrel and two single barrel guns including charms noting that they would be arraigned in court soon.
Confessing to the crime, Usman and Wakili said they always pretended as labourers to get information about their victims.
Both men claimed that, though, they had not been making big money in the kidnap business, they had been terrorizing people on major roads of the three states.