Robbery Suspect says "He Would Have Become Kogi’s CSO If Audu Hadn’t Died

At 30, Zakeri Isiaka is a millionaire and a frightening one. In political circles in Kogi State, Saturday Punch learnt that a mere mention of his name sends shivers down the spines of those who are familiar with his activities.

He is the husband to 9 wives and a father to 15 children. He got on the radar of the police when he allegedly led a gang that attacked operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Response Team in July 2016 and snatched a rifle from them.

But on October 23, a three-month operation to track him down paid off when members of the IRT cornered him on the Okene–Akure Expressway and apprehended him.

A police source said Isiaka’s gang were responsible for many cases of kidnaps and robberies in Kogi and other North Central states. When he was arrested, the police recovered 15 rifles from him.

He allegedly started off as a robber before he joined the group of militant leader, Ateke Tom in the Niger Delta and later became a political thug. In his confession, he said: “During the presidential election, Prince Audu gave me N30m to work for his party. .

When it was time for the governorship election, Prince Audu called me again and mobilised me with N20m and promised that he would make me the Chief Security Officer of the state if he won.

He said he would make me Kogi’s youth leader and I would even be in charge of collecting revenue on farm produce in the state. My boys and I worked very hard. I was almost killed when I was ambushed by a PDP thug. So, I would have become the state’s CSO if Prince Audu had not died.”