The Lagos State Police Command says it has smashed a kidnapping syndicate in
the Okokomaiko area of the state.
Police authorities
gave the names of the suspects as, Azuoma Nwabugoh, Chimobi Onuoha,
Moses Okoh, Nwachukwu Nwandike and Michael Arinze.
It
was learnt that the suspects were arrested after policemen attached to Ilemba
Hausa Division recovered a vehicle belonging to a kidnap victim, Obinna Okpara.
It
was learnt that after kidnapping the victim, the suspects allegedly sold the
car to one Michael Arinze. Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said
that Arinze led police to the kidnappers.
She
said, "On August 8, 2013, around 8.45pm, one Obinna Okpara was
kidnapped in front of his house at Awka, Anambra State. He was released on
September 9, 2013 after a ransom was paid.
"His
vehicle was, however, traced to the house of one Michael Arinze at Etegbin
Road, Ajangbadi, Lagos. Upon interrogation, Arinze said he bought the vehicle
from one of the suspects.
"He
said the vehicle, a black Toyota RAV4 with registration number, ABN 42 AA, was
sold to him for N800,000, adding that he paid N50,000 as down payment."
"The
Divisional Police Officer, Ilemba Hausa, SP Ekpashere Ibe, sent his men to the
houses of each of the suspects, who are all residing in the Okokomaiko
area."
The
suspects, it was learnt, had been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery
Squad, Ikeja. The victim, however said he was locked and blindfolded in a
toilet for over a week. He said the suspects kidnapped him in Anambra State and
released him in Enugu State after paying N2.5m ransom.
He
said, "Around 7.45pm on August 26, 2013, some men with guns blocked my
vehicle and started shooting into the air.
"They
drove me to a building and locked me inside the toilet after which they
blindfolded me. Two days after my arrival, a female victim was brought into the
toilet where I was.
"Unfortunately,
the woman was on her menstrual cycle and she spilled blood all over the floor.
The kidnappers fed me with rice once a day and gave me one sachet water."
The
victim said after some days, the woman's family was able to pay a ransom and
she was released. He said he remained in the kidnapper's den for extra days.
"My
family was instructed to place the ransom in a bush and I was released but my
vehicle was not returned to me. When I came out, I realised that I was in Enugu
State,"
he added.
The
alleged leader of the kidnappers, Nwabugo, denied participating in the crime. Nwabugoh
said he did not know the victim and pleaded with the police to allow him go
back to his three children and pregnant wife.
He
said, "All these allegations against me are false. I don't know the
victim. I am a trader at Alaba Market and most of the suspects you see are my
apprentices."
Another
suspect, Onuoha, owned up to the crime, adding that it was him and Nwabugoh
that executed the kidnapping. He said he was given only N30, 000 from the
operation.
He
said, "My boss (Nwabugoh) brought the guns and we went to kidnap the
victim. My boss drove the man to an undisclosed place in the man's jeep
while I followed in another car.
"It
was when my boss returned to Lagos that he gave me the victim's vehicle to sell
to Arinze. Arinze gave me N50,000 and I handed it over to my boss. My boss then
gave me N30, 000."
The
remaining suspects said they did not know anything about the crime, adding that
they were apprentices.
