·I was paid N50, 000, says suspect
August 21, 2020|RAZORNEWS
A kidnap syndicate, which specialized in abducting foreigners and traders along the Lagos Waterways, has been smashed by the Police in Lagos, following the arrest of four suspected members.
One of the abducted foreigners, a Syrian identified as Lungyn Camal, was subsequently rescued by operatives of the command.
Surprisingly, during investigation, it was discovered that some staff of the company where the Syrian works, connived with the kidnappers.
The foreigner, according to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Hakeem Odumosu, was abducted on the waterways around Eko Atlantic, Lagos Island, four months ago.
He further disclosed that a month earlier, the suspects who came from Ondo State, also abducted two other persons whose names he gave as Salisu Mansur and Christopher Chinda at Landmark beach, a month before the Syrian’s abduction.
The suspects: Ayeni John, 45, Tijani Gafari, 38, Ojonla Oyetakin, 30, and Paul Orimisan, 38, according the command boss, came from Ondo State to operate.
One of the suspects, Ayeni, a boat operator, claimed he was only hired to convey the Syrian to the gang’s hideout.
According to him: “Job (fleeing gang-member) hired me. I met him at the Liverpool Jetty. I conveyed him and three of his friends to Lekki, on March 15, 2020. We embarked on the journey at night. On reaching there, they went into Eko Atlantic and told me to wait for them, only to come back with a white man and hastily entered the boat.
I did not see the white man’s face because it was covered. Job ordered me to take them to a creek at Epe. I only got N50, 000”.
In a related development, CP Odumosu disclosed that the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the command arrested three suspected members of a robbery and kidnap syndicate whose targets are prominent Nigerians.
The gang, according to him, also dispossessed victims of their vehicles, which were moved to the Benin Republic for sale to ready buyers.
Addressing journalists on the arrest yesterday, Odumosu said the trio of Ugochukwu Stanley, 25; Ayodele Ismaila, 28, and Elochukwu Nwabuwa, 28 “ specialized in abducting high profile targets, dispossess them of their valuables and collect ransom before releasing them. The recent incident occurred on June 24, 2020 around 2.pm, when one Denise Chukwueke, a white Lady around the Lekki area was abducted. They released her after ransom was paid. They took her gold chain, rings, phones and the Range Rover. They were arrested at Falomo Bridge Ikoyi by Anti-kidnapping operatives and the stolen items were recovered.
All suspects would be charged to Court”, he said.