Police arrest Turkish school kidnapping suspect, students, teachers still held

Abdulmajid Ali, Ogun Police Commissioner

Police have arrested one of the three leaders of the armed gang that kidnapped eight persons including students at the Nigerian Turkish International School recently in Isheri, Ogun State.

But the three students and five members of staff of the school are still in captivity.

A reliable police source confirmed to Channels Television that the suspected leader, Phillip Joel Kakadu, also known as “General Kakadu” was arrested by men of the Intelligence Response Team in Warri, Delta State where he had come to spend his loot.

Kakadu was alleged to have confessed to possessing about twenty five AK-47 rifles with five of his boys among the 16-man gang that operated in the Turkish school on Friday.

He is said to have confirmed other leaders who are with the victims were from creeks in Lagos and Ogun. He named one General Agbala, whom he said had about 30 boys and General O. C. with over a hundred boys, whom he said was the overall leader of the kidnapping ring.

The students and officials of the school were taken on January 14, with kidnappers demanding for a 1.2 billion Naira ransom for the victims to regain their freedom.

Channels Television gathered that the abductors reportedly called a family member of one of the victims on Sunday to make the demand.

Five staff members and three students of the school were kidnapped by gunmen from the school premises in Isheri area of Ogun State, southwest Nigeria.

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