Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested one of the suspected attackers of a Christian cleric, Apostle Johnson Suleman.
Suleiman’s convoy was attacked by gunmen along the Benin-Auchi Road, Edo State, on October 21, 2022, and six of his aides were killed.
Months after the attack, one of the suspects, Yusuf Ismail Isa, was paraded at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, alongside 19 other suspects accused of various offences ranging from murder to kidnapping, armed robbery and conspiracy.
Parading the suspects before journalists, the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has so far arrested 548 armed robbery suspects, 246 kidnap suspects, 365 murder suspects, 237 rape suspects and rescued 113 victims.
Adejobi disclosed that Isah was the suspect, who first pulled the trigger on the convoy of the cleric, adding that some of the rifles found in his possession were rifles snatched from the three police officers killed during the October 21, 2022 attack.
According to the police spokesman, the gang specialised in kidnapping for ransom and had carried out about four kidnapping operations between 2021 and 2023, before they were busted by the police.
Two members of the seven-man gang were said to have been gunned down in separate encounters with the police.
Items recovered during the raids include 306 firearms, 3,944 ammunition as well as $800 cash.
