Agbara residents live in fear after police kill suspected kidnappers

Author(s): Patience Ogbo
Residents of Agbara community in Ogun State are living in fear  following the killing of seven suspected kidnappers in the area.
Policemen attached to the Special  Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command on Monday, arrested two men and killed seven others in a  hideout at the Agbara area in Ogun State following intelligence report that the gang  had kidnapped an Indian.
The police also stated that the gang was behind the kidnap of the Ejigbo Local government Chairman, Kehinde Bamigbetan and other prominent persons in the state including an unnamed serving High Court Judge.
A source in the community, who requested anonymity said policemen  from SARS stormed the area on Tuesday and arrested four other suspects  for alleged links with the notorious kidnap gang.
The source added that the police went to the house of one Chinedu Nnometa Akor, 25, who is one of the suspected kidnappers killed by the police, and arrested his elder brother Mike Nnometa.
” The residents in Agbara are afraid since the police discovered the alleged kidnappers’ hideout and killed some of them on Monday. The police also came back on Tuesday and arrested Mike Nnometa and three other men in one of the dead suspect’s house. We know Chinedu in this community as a business man and we are surprised to hear he is a kidnapper. His parents are in the United States of America and they are rich so we are perplexed  that he could be involved in crime. Mike, his elder brother was at home on Tuesday and we learnt the police came to their house and arrested him. The police also picked up three other men. We are afraid because we were told that they might have killed them in the cell and this is causing fear in the community,” the source said.
When contacted, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko said that he was not aware of the arrests.
“I am not aware  about  these arrests on Tuesday (sic). We are investigating the matter and we do not kill suspects in our custody. Those who died engaged our men in a gun battle. Two other persons were arrested alive on that day and the public saw them when they were paraded. Like I said, we are still  investigating this matter,” he said.