Army parades Kelvin’s associate, others - GUARDIAN

Published: Tuesday, 29 October 2013 

Written by From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City

• Suspect admits existence of 300 abductors
IN a major crackdown, the 4 Brigade, Nigeria Army yesterday paraded one Apkpevwe Ojijevwe Richard (a.k.a 2 Mark), a self-confessed member of the notorious kidnap kingpin Kelvin Onyiara’s gang, which has been tormenting residents in Edo State.
   Richard also confessed that the arrested Kelvin had over 300 trained abductors spread across several cells across the country.
   Parading the suspect and others at the headquarters of the Brigade in Benin City, the Army’s spokesperson, Captain Roselyn Managbe said Richard was arrested with a cache of arms and ammunition, a Prado SUV, which she said belongs to an Edo State High Court Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, who was recently abducted, a BMW car marked Lagos GC 484 EKY, charms and other items.
   Managbe said: “During investigation, the suspect who hails from Okweiraka Village, Kokori, Delta State, admitted that he and his accomplices carried out an operation along Benin-Auchi Road and kidnapped a security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu and his wife, Victoria, who were later rescued unhurt by the Joint Task Force.
   “The suspect also revealed that he started life as a commercial cyclist before going into illegal oil bunkering and later switched to kidnapping under the tutelage of Mr. Kelvin Onyiara, who was arrested in September 2013 by the Joint Army and Directorate of State Security Service (SSS) in Port-Harcourt.”
   Also paraded were three suspected arms dealers, Ernest Egbenayaloben, Osagie Igiemwin and Mathew Iyekepelor and one Kefas Warili, for impersonating as a military personnel.
   Managbe said the suspects operated under cover of dealing in building materials from their stores in Benin City.
   She added: “On 18th October 2013, a patrol team of Operation Thunder Storm acting on a tip-off arrested three suspected arms dealers, Messrs Ernest Egbenayaloben (a.k.a Ebo), Osagie Igiemwin and Mathew Iyekepelor, who earlier escaped arrest on April 9, 2013, when troops of Operation Thunder Storm raided stores at No. 4, Jegede Lane, off Lagos Street, Benin City, Edo State.
   “It was established that the suspects use the sales of building materials as cover-up to perpetrate their illicit business of arms selling. In the course of investigation, the suspects admitted to the crime. Richard also confessed to being part of a cell that abducted Okungbowa and was also involved in the kidnap of Ekhomu and his wife three weeks ago, an incident that led to the killing of one their victims, Emmanuel Obiyan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Thomas White Plc.”
   Others arrested by the troops included suspected oil bunkerers, who were allegedly intercepted with a tanker loaded with 15,000 litres of substance suspected to be illegally refined Automated Gasoline Oil.
   Other items recovered from the suspects included one AK 47 riffle, three AK 47 magazines, one long barrel gun, one pistol, 6,965 live cartridges, 266 rounds of 5.65mm ammunition, 14 empty cases of 7.62mm (special), nine FN magazines, one police fragmented jacket, 16 GSM phones, five extra GSM phone batteries, one GLO SIM card and two handbags.