Police Rescue Spaniard From Abductors

The police in Edo have rescued a Spaniard, Mr Jose-Anthonio Murili-Turrilo, from his abductors in Benin, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, said.

Adebanjo announced the development to newsmen in Benin while giving an update on the arrest of crime suspects in the state.

He said he received a telephone call on Saturday that the Spaniard was being held in a hotel and consequently the police mobilised to rescue him from his abductors.

He said the two suspected kidnappers, aged 28 and 25, were arrested at the scene.

Adebanjo said a Nigerian woman deported from Spain, who was the lover of the Spaniard, lured him from Spain to Nigeria.

He said the Spaniard was made to withdraw all money in his domiciliary account.

The commissioner said when the suspects discovered that their victim had no money on him, they forced him to call his sister in Spain to send 2,000 Euros to them before they could allow him to return to Spain.

He said the sister in Spain reported the incident to INTERPOL in Spain, who contacted their Nigerian counterparts.

Adebanjo said the victim had since been handed over to INTERPOL.

In a related development, the Police Command in Edo arrested four suspected kidnappers, seven armed robbery suspects and four suspected cult members.

The suspected kidnappers, aged 25 to 37 years, kidnapped an employee of Pipelines Products Marketing Company from his farm on February 17, the commissioner said.

He said the police rescued the victim unhurt on Feb. 20, arrested the suspects and recovered four locally-made guns, six cartridges, one expended cartridge and two masks and a pair of gloves from them.

Adebanjo said the police also arrested two suspected armed robbers and recovered one locally-made pistol, one single barrel gun, N63,940, two Nokia cell phones, one blackberry, two cartridges and a school bag from them.

He said the police also arrested a car snatching gang, based in Warri, Delta, but operating in Benin, while it was attempting to snatch a Toyota Camry, from the owner at Emulu village.

Adebanjo said the police also arrested four suspected cult members as well as a 22-year-old man, who allegedly killed his father-in-law.

He said the 22-year-old man allegedly conspired with a 20-year-old herdsman to murder another herdsman, named Idirisu Jubril, to enable them to steal Idirisu’s father’s cows.