In Picture:Police smash kidnap cartel, rescue victims

Posted by admin Headlines, Nigerian Police Monday, October 10th, 2011

Apprehended suspects with their cache of weapons

Men of the Lagos State Police Command have rescued three kidnap victims and arrested two of the kidnappers.

The rescued victims are Dr. Godwin Ene, Mr. Rodney Ogagba and Mr. Godwin Okonkwo.

learnt that during the rescue mission headed by Mr. Patrick Ejadewe, a Chief Superintendent of Police, arms and ammunition – including eight AK47 rifles, three rockets, 108 magazines fully loaded with 30 rounds each, 665 live ammunition and assorted charms – were recovered by the police.

It was learnt that the two suspects and others at large, belong to a syndicate that specialises in kidnapping people and demanding huge ransoms.

PUNCH METRO gathered that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N150m from each of the victims.

A police source told our correspondent that the family of Ogagba, who was kidnapped on September 10, 2011, negotiated with the kidnappers and paid N4m but the kidnappers demanded more money and refused to release the victim.

He said, “Ogagba was kidnapped at Alausa about a month ago. He was pulled out of his Hummer V and taken to an unspecified location.

“After communicating with the family, N4m was given to the kidnappers but they said it was too small and asked for more money.”

The police source added that after further negotiation, the kidnappers decided to collect additional N2.8m, but unknown to them, the police were already on their trail.

Our source said, “The kidnappers kept on changing locations of where to collect the money so as to monitor if the police were on their trail.

“After about two hours, one of the kidnappers came on a motorcycle to collect the cash but as he collected the money, policemen apprehended him and after interrogation, he led us to the house where the victim was being held.

“On getting to the house, which surprisingly is located in a residential area, some of the kidnappers on sighting policemen, scaled the fence and ran away. However, one of them engaged us in a gun battle but he was subdued.”

Our source maintained that upon searching the house, the two other victims, Ene and Okonkwo, were found with Ogagba.

“We rescued three victims and upon searching a vehicle in the compound, we found the stockpile of ammunition,” he said.

Ene and Okonkwo, narrated how they were kidnapped to PUNCH METRO.

Ene said, “The hoodlums accosted me at Ajao(Estate) while I was driving around 6pm on Thursday.

“Four of them, armed, alighted from a jeep and claimed to be from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. So, I did not argue with them.

“However, I realised they were liars when they forced me into their car, blindfolded me and started beating me.”

Ene added that after taking him to an undisclosed location, they demanded N150m from him.

“They held me for three days and only fed me once. I am 66 years old and yet they acted this cruel to me. They also demanded N150m from me but thanks to God and the police, my life was spared,” he said.

Okonkwo, who was held for a month, said amid tears that the kidnappers tortured him on a daily basis after he told them he could not raise the N150m ransom.

He said, “I am a manufacturer by profession so they might have thought I’m very rich. I explained to them that I did not have the money but they flared up.

“Each day, they would beat me with the side of a machete and threaten to kill me if I did not cooperate with them. I am so thankful to God that the police came to my rescue. God bless them.”

The two suspects, Kenneth Okonkwo(not related to the victim) and Azubike Okafor, said they were not the masterminds but only played a minimal role in the crime.

“I did not kidnap them. I was only sent by Obinna, a member of the gang, to go and collect the ransom at a specified location,” Okonkwo said.

However, the police said Okafor had been on the run for months and had been declared wanted as a murder suspect before his arrest.

Okafor said, “I killed someone mistakenly in Awka, Anambra State. But I’m not a criminal by nature. It was my friend, Obinna, that told me to come to Lagos and promised to sponsor my trip to Germany. I did not know before coming to Lagos that he was a kidnapper.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Yakubu Alkali, claimed that the arrest was an indication that the police were not resting on their oars.

He said, “Like I keep saying, crime control, crime prevention and crime management is not solely an institutional responsiblity but members of the public must continue to provide the police with useful information.

“The hoodlums were arrested through holistic policing otherwise known as community policing after a tip-off from a responsible citizen.”

Alkali thanked Governor Babatunde Fashola for supporting the command. He also affirmed that all criminals who still follow the path of criminality would face the full wrath of the law.

-Punchwp_posts