The Nigeria Police Force has said that the gunmen who kidnapped schoolchildren and teachers in Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, had help from informants during the operation.
The police said the informants sustained telephone conversations with the abductors.
According to Oyo State Police Command, the informants were traced through calls they reportedly had with the criminals before and after the operation.
The police said the conversations included information about how the abductors could successfully navigate routes within the National Park to hidden locations used as safe havens.
The police said the interception of the information led to the arrest of six suspects linked to the abduction incident.
DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, the spokesman of the command confirmed the arrest of the suspects from various locations across the state.
He announced that the suspects were currently assisting the police with investigations.
“Our findings showed that some of the suspects were in contact with the abductors through telephone conversations and investigators are analysing those communications as part of efforts to uncover the full network behind the crime,” Ayanlade said.
On the nature of information passed between the informants and bandits, he said: “The conversations contained information on how the abductors could move through the National Park undetected and reach safe locations.”
The police image maker explained that the suspects were taken into custody during joint operations involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Agro-Rangers.
