When information about the kidnap of a hotelier at Ikorodu, Lagos State, got to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Kayode Aderanti, at about 10p.m. on Friday, January 30, 2015, he assured his callers that his command would make all efforts in ensuring that the victim is rescued without payment of ransom.
By February 4, the police commissioner’s promise was fulfilled when a team of operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad in Lagos, led by the Officer-in-Charge, Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police, not only ensured that no ransom was paid, but also successfully rescued the victim.
One of the members of the kidnap gang, one John Paul, also lost his life as a result of the bullet wounds he sustained during exchange of gunfire between the SARS operatives and the gang.
The hotelier, one Saheed Kolawole, was kidnapped when about six members of the gang went to his hotel at Odonla in Ikorodu on January 30, 2015. While some of the gang members laid ambush around the hotel premises, two of them went inside the hotel and demanded for drinks.
As the victim strolled out of the hotel to answer a call, the two members in the hotel stood up. A vehicle also came up from where it was parked and about five kidnappers reportedly bundled him into the car. They shot sporadically into the air to scare people away and make their escape easy.
After taking their victim to an unknown destination, the kidnappers reportedly demanded for $200,000 from his family, but after much negotiation, they agreed to collect $100,000. They insisted that the money must be brought by the victim’s wife.
Before the date, however, the Officer-in-Charge of SARS Lagos, Abba Kyari had done his investigation to locate the hideout of the kidnappers and it was discovered that they were at Igbo Olomu area in Ikorodu, Lagos.
On the day they were to collect the ransom, Crime Reports further gathered, the kidnappers directed the victim’s wife to a particular street. They kept instructing her to leave one place for the other to ensure that no one was following her. They asked her to divide the money into two places. All this while, SARS operatives had divided themselves and were in different parts of the vicinity.
Suddenly, the kidnappers arrived on a motorcycle and the woman handed over the money to them. As they collected it and wanted to zoom off, they were waved to a stop but they responded with gunshots. An exchange of gunfire ensued between them and the police, and the ring leader, who gave his name as John Paul was caught by the bullets, Crime Reports gathered.
The okada rider was also said to have attempted an escape but could not because of bullet injury. One gang member however escaped but the ransom that was to be paid and the operational vehicle of the gang, a Toyota Corolla with registration number APP 626 CP, were recovered by the SARS operatives. Paul was said to have later died as a result of the injury while the okada man, Adamu Garuba (24) was taken into police custody.
The police image maker in Lagos State, DSP Ken Nwosu told Crime Reports that immediately after the exchange of gunfire, other gang members started calling Paul’s line, wanting to know whether the okada man was arrested too.
“We started treating Paul and Adamu in Ikorodu before they were taken to another hospital. Adamu took SARS operatives to the house of one of them called Pere, who was in their camp with the victim. We got to his house at Egbede in Ikorodu and met the wife who initially told us that she was a visitor and did not know the owner of the house. She was later identified by Adamu.”
Crime Reports learnt that while the police were still there, Pere called his wife. Aware that his family had been located, Pere was said to have released the victim at 3a.m. the following day. But the victim was said to have been immersed in petrol poured in a canoe, which caused his body to peel seriously. He was immediately taken to hospital for treatment.
It was further gathered that the kidnappers were into bunkering while some of them were always in military uniform with AK47 rifles and other guns.
Before Paul’s death, he was said to have confessed that his gang was involved in the recent killing of two policemen at Owutu police station.
When they learnt that the SARS operatives had arrested one of them, the kidnappers relocated their camp to another one across the waters at Arepo community. It was learnt that an Indian national was also a victim but must have paid a ransom before his release, as the police were not involved.
The okada rider, in an interview with Crime Reports, narrated his involvement thus: “I am from Katsina State but I am living at Ikorodu and had been in Lagos State for about three years. I met Pere one day while I was under a shade waiting for rain to stop. He asked me to take him to his house. That was how he took my number and would always call me whenever he needed to go anywhere.
“Then, I didn’t know the kind of job he was doing. It became known to me after my arrest that he was involved in bunkering and kidnapping.
“On the day I was arrested, Pere called me and asked me to come and carry some people. I went to meet him at Igbo Olomu side and he asked me to get another okada man to make two of us. We picked one person each and as we got to Igbo Olomu junction, they would ask us to turn round. We kept on turning round that I had to ask the one with me, later known as John Paul, what he was looking for.
“He replied that he was looking for a certain woman from whom he wanted to collect something. I saw two women walking. I saw the second okada man drop the man he was carrying, saying he was no longer interested in moving around aimlessly. So I had to put the man and Paul on my bike.
“As I parked, the second man went to meet the woman. As he to disembarked, we started hearing gunshots. I wanted to run away because I was not sure of who was shooting. The suspect at large held on to my bike and a bullet pierced my arm in the process.”
Adamu informed Crime Reports that several arms including ones that are the same with those used by the police’ (AK47 rifles) were in the kidnappers’ camp across the waters. “There are many people in the camp and it is not a place that police can go. I used to take Pere to a point where no car or bike could go beyond. You can only get to the camp through canoe. Pere never allowed me beyond the riverside.”
It was learnt that there were usually many men mounting surveillance and holding gun while Pere would also be armed. Pere is said to be an Ijaw man and is suspected to be a militants.
Aderanti said that his men were in a manhunt for other members of the kidnap gang.
Source: Tribune
No comments:
Post a Comment