Kidnappers of Wife of “Supreme Court Judge” Nabbed and Paraded in Benin City

In what seems like a story too good to the true for the Rhodes family, it seems that three members of a gang that kidnapped members of the family including the wife, daughter and driver of a judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, in May, this year, were among seven suspects paraded by the Department of State Services, DSS, in Benin City, yesterday.

While parading the suspects before the governor and press, the state director of DSS Mr Bello said the suspects had confessed to the crime and that three members of the kidnappers of the judge’s wife were still at large. He said Mrs. Rhodes-Vivour and her daughter were kept in a house in Upper Sokpomba area of Benin City from where the suspects were arrested.

All the kidnap suspects were from Delta State   The governor who was miffed that despite government’s warning that landlords should screen their tenants to ensure that their property are not used by criminal elements said the buildings used by the kidnap suspects will be demolished at the appropriate time.

He said: “For the landlords, we have already made the decision that anyone that aids and abets kidnapping will have his structure demolished. Any hotelier who does not follow the instruction of documenting who stays in their hotel and such are used for kidnapping or human trafficking we will demolish it.

Nobody has the right to make money out of the pains of Nigerians.” Oshiomhole expressed joy that the security agencies were able to arrest the gang that kidnapped the wife and daughter of the Supreme Court Justice, saying: “This is a major breakthrough. What is important is for criminals to know that there is no more immunity.

It is a matter of when, not whether, they would be caught and that the officers and men are determined to do their best and those involved in crime would be brought to justice. He noted : “These criminals, 95 per cent of them are from Delta State.

It shows in this business of crime that criminals are very mobile. No state can find a solution as they keep moving from one state to the other. When their colleagues hear that they have been put on trial, they would look elsewhere.”