Kidnappers back on the beat in South West, launch renewed attacks

Before the 2023 elections, Nigerians were bedeviled with kidnap activities. The target of the kidnappers had been the well-to-do and popular personalities, but after some time, poor people were not spared. Drivers, passengers, students and artisans struggling for survival became regular victims. And heaven help those with no means or family and friends to pay ransom.

A reference is an Ogbomoso case whereby a United States citizen, Gbenga Owolabi, who was into hotel business in Nigeria, was killed by kidnappers alongside a student of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Rachael Opadele, working temporarily in the hotel during a long strike by the Academic Union of Univesities (ASUU), and a motorcyclist who conveyed the person who brought the ransom. They had thought that the ransom bearer and the motorcyclist were law enforcement agents who disguised to arrest them.

However, with the redesign of naira notes, particularly N1,000, N500 and N200, by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the attendant non-availability of the new notes, Nigerians became crunched financially. Survival became hard. It also reflected in the operations of kidnappers as they went out of action. There was no way they could obtain non-available cash as ransom. With the cash scarcity, kidnapping subsided. Not even a single case was heard of because cash was not available anywhere in the country.

Most people saw the scarcity as a blessing in disguise as people’s fear of being kidnapped reduced. But no sooner than the elections were held than the naira notes gradually returned into circulation and kidnappings returned in full force.

In Osun State, for instance, two wives of a popular traditionalist based in Imesi-Ile, Oba Adetoyese Olakisan, also known as Oba Ogboni Agbaye, were kidnapped. Though, one of the women was said to have escaped from the kidnappers, the second one, Olori Rashidat Olatipe, was reportedly rescued by a traditional security group from where she was held hostage in Aba Paanu at Ikoro-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The sad part of the story had it that the husband, a police officer and a daughter-in-law died in a lone accident along Ila/Edemonsi/Imesi-Ile road while returning from a point they traced the kidnappers to.

The traditional security group, the Kiriji Heritage Defenders, headed by the Converner, Dr Ademola Ekundayo, said that the group tried to use money as bait but could not get the kidnappers. The security group said that its men invaded the forest where the abductors and the remaining victims were, and rescued her without paying any ransom. However, the Convener said that they had to take the distraught woman to hospital for medical attention because she was seriously injured.

According to Ekundayo “they asked us to buy five cartons of a brand of energy drink, one roll of cigarettes, one carton of milk, recharge card and malt drinks, among others.

“We carried the ransom that we used as bait to get them but when they sighted us, they suspected that our mission and started shooting at us. But we returned the firepower.”

He advised the government to engage local securitymen who are familiar with terrains around them, “because kidnappers are scattered in our bushes. There are several unheard-of kidnap cases, just that ours is prominent.”

Also, gunmen were reported to have invaded Ago-Igbira, a community near Ila-Orangun, where they abducted a Fulani cattle owner, Muhammed Jubril, from the community last Wednesday.

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The abductors, numbering about eight and suspected to belong to the same tribe as the victim, also shot a person identified as Hassan Jubril.

The incident was confirmed by the command’s spokeswoman, SP Yemisi Opalola, who disclosed that three expended shells of AK-47 ammunition and cartridges were recovered from the scene by the police, in collaboration with Civilian Joint Taskforce, when the whole area was combed immediately after the report of the incident.

Another case was that of a couple, Andrew and Margaret Jonah, who were abducted on their way to a church vigil. They were in captivity for days without food or water before their rescue.

Speaking with journalists after their rescue, the husband narrated their frightening experience: “That Friday, my wife and I were on our motorcycle, going to vigil in our church on Iragbiji-Ikilebe road around 9pm. We went past Ayegbe when we noticed block of the roads with sticks.

“As I stepped on the brake to turn back, the kidnappers came out of the bush and shone torches on our faces. They told us to disembark. We asked what was happening, but they put guns to our throats. One of them started the ignition of my motorcycle and took it inside the bush. They also walked me and my wife into the bush. As we walked a little, they identified themselves as kidnappers and asked us to call our family members, demanding N30 million as ransom. I told them I don’t have such people in my family and I don’t have any money. They threatened to kill us if we didn’t give them the money.

“We were there till Tuesday when some people called and told them that they wanted to help us by giving them N350,000 in cash. The kidnappers told them to bring the money to them at a certain place. Two of them went to the described spot while the remaining one stayed with me and my wife, binding us with ropes. About 30 minutes later, we started hearing gunshots getting nearer and nearer. The abductor with us became frightened. He decided to tie us to trees in the bush. He said he would be back soon. When I noticed that he didn’t return, I used my teeth to tear the rope binding my hands.i did that of my legs and loosened my wife’s own. We ran away from the spot but at a point, I couldn’t see my wife again because it was dark. I started hearing someone calling my appellation. I was responding but couldn’t be heard because I had lost my voice due to hunger and thirst for four days.”

The wife, Margaret, added to the story: “The kidnappers threatened to kill us and used our remains for ritual except a ransom was paid by our relatives.

“The kidnappers did not give us water or food all the days we were with them. The one that stayed with us became afraid when he heard gunshots and ran away. That was how my husband untied the ropes used in binding us. The police who came to rescue us started calling my husband’s name which he answered when he heard the call. That was how we were rescued.”

In Lagos State, early this month, a suspected kidnapper who wanted to collect ransom on two kidnap victims lost his life during a gun duel with policemen in Ikorodu area.

Saturday Tribune learnt that the police operatives also rescued the two victims abandoned by the kidnappers at their hideout in the area.

It was gathered that the deceased kidnapper and his gang members abducted the victims on March 26, just a week after the gubernatorial election. Following the operation, the suspects reportedly contacted the victims’ families and demanded N20 million as ransom to release them.

While negotiating with the suspects, it was learnt that the victims’ families informed the Lagos State Police Command and policemen were detailed to investigate the case and rescue the victims.

However, on the agreed day for the ransom payment, the kidnappers, seeing policemen accompanying the families of the abducted victims to the agreed location, opened fire.

One of the rescued victims, who narrated how they fell into the hands of the kidnappers, said: “They (kidnappers) were six in number. We were arranging eggs in boxes to supply. They took me and the driver into the forest. There, they demanded for a ransom of N20 million, which was negotiated to N10 million.

“The following day, they blindfolded us and started using cutlass to inflict cuts on our bodies.

“All of a sudden, my boss called them that the money was ready. Two of them were assigned to go for the money but met with policemen.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, while reacting to the incident, said the policemen fired back at the hoodlums, adding that during the exchange of gunfire, the policemen shot one of the suspects dead and rescued two victims.

According to the PPRO, “they envisaged that the police might be involved, so they had already laid an ambush, but we also envisaged such a move and had planned to counter it. There was a gun duel, after which one of the kidnappers was injured.

“We took him to the hospital where he was confirmed dead. The ones who escaped dropped a firearm and four live cartridges.

“We were also able to recover three phones. Good enough, two of the phones belong to the kidnappers. We have commenced forensic analysis of the phones and we have very interesting lead we are working on.”

In Ekiti State, while parading suspects early in the week, the police image maker, DSP Sunday Abutu, spoke on kidnap suspects arrested. Among them were those apprehended just six days after the gubernatorial election.

According to the PPRO: “on March 31, at about 11pm, upon a tip-off, one Nureni Isah, Igbekele Afolabi Fagbemi and Sunday Olawoye, were arrested by the command operatives along Ijan road, Ado-Ekiti.

“During the arrest of the suspects, one Okolie Bethel Chisom was found held hostage by the suspects and rescued.”

Abutu stated that during investigation, the police learnt that the suspects lured the victim from Delta State to Ekiti State before holding him hostage. The PPRO added that the victim was forced to pay N2.2 million as ransom.

He added that the arrested suspects confessed to the commission of the crime.

Saturday Tribune further gathered that in Oyo State, a Fulani cattle owner, Alhaji Machu, was kidnapped and taken to a forest reserve but released on March 30 without paying any ransom.

The state police command was said to have started working on getting the kidnappers immediately it got a report. The vigilantes, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and local hunters also joined in efforts to rescue the kidnapped victims.

The Seriki Fulani in Ogbomoso, Umar Yaro Babuga Gurma, with whom Saturday Tribune spoke, said that when the man was kidnapped, Fulani vigilantes went into the forest to battle with the kidnappers.

“It was out of fear that they released the victim when they saw that the population of the rescuers was more than theirs. And they didn’t injure him. He even came to market as he was leaving the bush,” the Seriki said.

It was learnt that he was kidnapped from Afala Community under Oriire Local Government Area on March 23, at about 11pm in front of his residence. He regained freedom on March 30, after he was held hostage for a week.

They were said to have initially demanded N100 million as ransom but knew that those involved had been somehow revealed and so decided to leave him and escape from the environment.

Though elderly, the victim is said to be vast in cattle business. It was also learnt that the state police command are still working on arresting the suspects.

In Ogun State, an official of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Popoola Olasupo, was abducted on Sunday, April 16, at Fidiwo axis on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, under Ogun State Police Command jurisdiction.

According to reports, the TRACE official was kidnapped at about 6:30am on his way to his duty post. According to an eyewitness, the kidnappers suddenly emerged from a nearby bush and shot sporadically at a commercial bus, with the intent to kidnap.

The other passengers were reportedly spared while the officer was taken away.

The police, local hunters and vigilantes were said to have immediately swung into action when the report was received, with efforts to trail the kidnappers’ den and rescue the victims.

The command’s image maker, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, had confirmed the kidnap incident but said the state anti-kidnapping team was already after the kidnappers.

The PPRO said: “Our anti-kidnapping squad are already after them. We are combing the forests and we know that they will all be arrested. Ogun State is not a ground for criminals to settle. It is either they leave or we smoke them out of this state.”

The renewed kidnappings have not been limited to the South West however. In Benue State, eight victims were kidnapped on Monday by gunmen who invaded Owukpa community in Ogbadibo Local Government Area, Benue State.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state police command, SP Catherine Anene, who confirmed the abduction, said that it was reported at Orokam police Division.

“Investigation revealed that some hoodlums formed a gang and went to a farm area to kidnap people on their way to the farm. Police teams, in collaboration with vigilante groups in the community, have been mobilised to the forest for rescue of the victims,” she told journalists.

Also in Zamfara, about 80 children reported to have been abducted by bandits at Wanzamai village, Tsafe Local Government Area, about 8 am two weeks ago, leaving the entire village in fear and confusion as almost all households were affected..

It was said that the children, aged between 12 and 17, were abducted on Friday at about 8am while fetching firewood in the bush.

Speaking on the resurgence in kidnapping, the Benue PPRO, SP Anene, confirmed its renewed occurrence. She said: “Yes, it is true that during the process of naira redesign, the issue of kidnapping went down, in fact, completely. We didn’t hear of any occurrence again. But just last week, we started getting (kidnap) incidents in Benue. We have two incidents we heard of, particularly in a community.

“The intelligence we gathered was that these people go into villages to kidnap farmers. And then, they begin to request for millions. In fact, they try to stretch these farmers, requesting for N10 million, with the farmers telling them that they don’t even have anything, save something to survive on.

“We are trying to work on the information we have got that people are doing this because naira notes are now available,” she said.

Anene disclosed that the latest victims were rescued without ransom payment because of much pressures on the kidnappers. The kidnappers reportedly released them.

She said that the command could not say exactly where the kidnappers came from since they they had yet to be arrested, “but with our past experiences, kidnapping does not occur through strangers. Most of the time, there is information from insiders, pointing at someone to kidnap and the time to carry out the operation. It is not about a tribe but criminals coming together. It is usually an organized crime.”

She stated further that the command is working on getting the criminals, in collaboration with community members who know more about those committing the crime.

“We do a lot of patrols already in the metropolis, but the latest incident occurred in an area not accessible to vehicles. It is a farmland where the farmers go in motorcycles, park at a place and trek into their plantation areas. The kidnappers go there to terrorize the victims because they know it that the farmlands are not easily accessible. In the metropolis, there is constant patrols and surveillance. Even the locals are ready to raise the alarm and help Police to carry out operations in their areas.”

The Osun PPRO, SP Opalola, confirmed about three kidnap cases which had occurred after the elections but said: “As you are aware, we are always on top of situations. We have been able to rescue all victims of kidnap recorded in our command. Also, three of the suspected kidnappers had been arrested while one of them was neutralised while they engaged our operatives in gunfire exchange.”

Opalola advised citizens generally to avoid movement too early in the morning and late at night, or odd hours. She added that they should keep away from lonely places or areas.

Via Tribune