LAGOS, June 24 (Xinhua) -- A notorious gangster head was gunned down in an encounter with Nigerian police in southwest Lagos, the country's economic hub, a police official told Xinhua on Monday.
State police spokesperson Bala Elkana, who confirmed the development, said Mufutau Sulaiman, popularly known as "Pencil", was killed by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Three members of the criminal gang earlier arrested by SARS operatives led the operatives to their den in Ikorodu.
Sulaiman was alleged to be a kidnap kingpin who had been terrorizing the residents of Ikorodu, located in the northeast part of Lagos.
Elkana said the police had been on the trail of the wanted gangster leader since he led his gang to kidnap and murder two bureau de change operators in Ikorodu on March 14.
He said that the gangster would demand for ransom from the families of the kidnapped people.
After then, they would kill the kidnapped people and dumped their remains in septic tanks.
"They are serial killers, rapists and cultists," said the police spokesperson.
Two SARS operatives sustained various degrees of injuries, Elkana said, noting that they were taken to the intensive care unit.
One gun with live ammunition and expended ammunition was recovered from the dead kidnapper.
Kidnappings in Nigeria have increased in recent months despite safety assurances by the government.
