Two of the prison escapees in the October 2020 prison break in Edo State have been rearrested after series of abductions in Delta and Edo States.
The duo had fingered the prison authorities, claiming that the prison break was pre-planned, and the authorities were informed.
Lawrence Okor, 55, and Famous Williams, 36, were arrested in Edo State for terrorising Benin city and environs.
Speaking with Standard Gazette correspondent in Benin, the suspects said, “We heard that they were coming to break into the prison one week before they came.
“We reported the matter to the prison authorities, but they did not take any action.
“When we came out, we went to Ohorsu town, where we then planned to carry out kidnapping to raise money to travel out of Nigeria.
Lawrence Okor, 55, and Famous Williams, 36.
“It was the militant people with heavy guns that opened the prison gate for us”.
In 2018, the duo was arrested by men of the Anti kidnapping And Cybercrime unit of the Edo state police command for several kidnapping cases.
It could be recalled that Standard Gazette reported in October 2020 how over 2000 prisoners escaped from two prison facilities during the EndSars protest in Benin City.
Lawrence Okor and Famous Williams were among those who escaped from the detention facilities.
They allegedly reconnected and formed a kidnap gang where they abducted several persons in Benin and Delta.
Standard Gazette gathered that the suspects and others now at large kidnapped a pharmacist at Ovbiogie on Benin-Lagos road in Edo State.
The victim spent five days in the forest around Ovia River until they collected N1.5 million ransom in Ughelli, Delta State.
The suspects returned to Edo State, where they tracked and abducted a businessman at Oluku near Benin City.
SG gathered that the victim was entering his residence when he was abducted and whisked away in his own car boot.
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Philip Ogbadu, said the suspects would be profiled and charge to court again.
He said,” most of those who escaped from prison has been arrested.
“We will not give them space at all. We have pursued armed robbers and kidnappers out of Benin metropolis, but they have now moved to highways.
“I can assure you that we will chase them out of Edo state”.