The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered a kidnappers den in
Ajah area of Lagos, killing a suspected leader of the syndicate during a
shoot-out, while three other members were arrested.
Rescued at the end of the gun duel were two staff of Epe Local
Government Area, Samsudeen Olatunde, 37 and Daramola Muideen Bisoye,
43.
They were abducted a week ago on Abraham Adesanya Street,
along Lekki/Epe expressway when they stopped to answer the call of
nature.
The suspects who usually disguised as beggars, disclosed
that their targets were men who usually parked exotic cars to ease
themselves around Ajah and other high brow areas of Lagos.
The operation
The
seven-man syndicate said to have been on the wanted list of the Area
‘J’ Command, Elemoro, for about a year, reportedly met their waterloo
following intelligence report from the area command, consequent upon
which a joint team of operatives from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad,
Ikeja and men of the Area ‘J’ Command led by the Area Commander, Mr
Felix Vwamhi, reportedly stormed the kidnappers’ den, an uncompleted
building located in an area popularly known as General Paint in
Alasia, Ajah.
Sighting the policemen, the kidnappers reportedly opened fire that triggered a gun duel.
Police
sources said: “During the hot exchange of fire, two members of the
gang, one of them later discovered to be the gang leader, identified
simply as Akpos and his second in command, Michael Chinedu Edom, were
fatally wounded.
“They were arrested while five others escaped
with minor bullet wounds and one of the guns used by Akpos was
recovered including 20 live cartridges.
“Efforts to revive Akpos
to enable police use him to get the fleeing gang members failed but
“Michael survived and was used to track down two other members,
Emmanuel Omoseni and Emeka Agbaji, who have made confessional
statements.
Our targets —Suspect
One of the suspects, Emeka
Agbaji, 31, who hails from Ekuoma village in Ika East Local Government
Area of Delta State disclosed: “That fateful day at about 8pm along Epe
Expressway, we saw two persons who parked their Toyota Yaris saloon car
by the roadside and went to urinate.
“One of our gang members who
disguised as a beggar approached the driver when he wanted to board the
car and begged him to assist him with some money to eat. Out of sympathy
the driver gave him N100 and he prostrated in gratitude.
“But, as
the driver wanted to enter his car, the supposed beggar held on to the
car door and started dragging the door with him. The occupants were
confused and before they knew it, other members including myself came
out of hiding with locally made short guns and pushed the driver and the
passenger inside the back seat of the car.
“One of us took over the steering wheel and we drove straight to our camp at General Paint area.
“We
did not torture the victims. We had not even started calling their
families or the Epe local government council where we learnt they were
working when, all of a sudden, the police stormed the uncompleted
building and rescued them.”
Agbaji who said he was lured into kidnapping by the late Akpos confessed that he was once a robber.
“But
at a point, I decided not to steal again. I was tempted to join
because Akpos advised me to be saving one tenth of any money I got
through kidnap for court case, saying kidnap was a bailable offence and
that he had formidable hands in the boys he recruited from Delta State.
This is my first time of joining them and I was promised N500,000 at
the end of the day,” he said.
I intended travelling with my share — Another suspect
For
Michael Chinedu Edom, 25, a native of Isiekenesi village in Ideato
South Local Government Area of Imo State: “I was also lured by late
Akpos, with a promise of more than N2 million when we receive the
ransom.
“We were told that each of the victims’ families would be
made to pay N7 million. At least I knew I would have got over N2 million
with which I intended to travel out of Nigeria.
“I joined out of frustration because all the menial jobs I ventured into fetched me nothing.
“First,
I started as a conductor and got only N1,000 at the end of each day
which was not enough to fend for myself, let alone my wife and baby who
live with a family friend.
“I was squatting with friends in an uncompleted building because I could not afford to pay the rent around Ajah.
“My
role in this was to provide a hideout for the gang. I was promised
N10,000 per day. I was not there when they did the job. I was in a
restaurant all through but was forced to run out during the gun duel.
In my attempt to escape, one of the arrested persons sighted me and
revealed my identity to the police.”
We are only kidnappers not robbers — Third suspect
The
third suspect who identified himself as Emmanuel Omoseni, 33, from Zion
People village in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, claimed to
be a teacher in a private school in the
area.
Omoseni said he was tempted to provide the gang a hiding place after
being promised N100,000.
“As at then, I had not been paid two
months salary. Even the two months salary was not up to the N100,000
promised. My only regret is that I ended up not getting a dime.”
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/we-disguise-as-beggars-to-abduct-our-victims-suspects/#sthash.DfQCZQNA.dpuf
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