Police arrest three suspected kidnappers in Kogi

Abductors demand N70 million from OAU don’s family
• Kidnapped boy found in Ogun State 

THREE suspected kidnappers, Muhammed Mayaki, Abdulaziz Sani, and Usman Abdulrahaman are cooling their heels with the Kogi State Police Command for allegedly kidnapping a Chinese national working with a Ceramic industry in Ajaokuta Local Council of the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, while parading the suspects on Monday, said one of the suspects named Nda, was still at large. He said on April 27, the suspects kidnapped the Chinese national and collected N5 million ransom from the company before releasing him from their custody.

According to him, despite the payment of the ransom and the release of the victims, the police still continued with the investigation, adding that the investigation paid off with the arrest of the perpetrators at the weekend.

He said the gang leader, who was still at large, after collecting the N5million ransom only submitted N3.5 million to the gang for sharing.

The police also paraded one Amao Gbadebo, for allegedly threatening to kidnap the management staff of ECOWAS Hospital, Egbe in Yagba East Local Council and in the process collected ransom from them. He said the suspect, after collecting the money, ran to Osun State where the police arrested him.

“In a related issue, the police on Saturday also foiled an attempt by some hoodlums to kidnapp another Chinese national working with Dangote Cement Company at Obajana.

He said one of the officers, who was seriously injured in the process, is receiving treatment at the hospital. He blamed relations of kidnapped victims for the increasing spate of kidnapping in the state as they always hide issues of ransom from the police after reporting.

“The reason for the increase was that families of victims do not want the police to be fully involved in the negotiation with the kidnappers, because they are afraid that the kidnappers would kill the victims.

We are calling on them to always allow security agencies to take control of the situation,” he said The commissioner, however, urged medical doctors to report any patient, who comes to the hospital with bullet wound for treatment to determine whether they are robbers or not, as any one caught would be prosecuted.

Items recovered from the kidnappers included a television set, generating set, CD player, clothes, standing fan and N2, 533,500.

Meanwhile, the abductors of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) lecturer, Dr. Femi Omisore, have demanded N70 million ransom to facilitate release of the university don, who was kidnapped on Saturday in Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State. Omisore, a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Design Management at the university, was abducted on his way to attend a funeral ceremony in Oye-Ekiti. The kidnappers killed his driver and also set his car ablaze.

The Chairman of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), OAU chapter, Dr. Caleb Aborisade, who disclosed this at an emergency congress held in sympathy with Omisore and his slain driver’s families, said the abductors of their colleague made the demand on Saturday using Omisore’s phone number to reach his wife.

The kidnappers abandoned David at about 1.00a.m. around Seme border yesterday, with a tag, which had his parent’s phone number scribbled on it around his neck

The ASUU leader debunked the rumour that their kidnapped colleague had been killed and demanded his unconditional release by his abductors. “The congress sympathised with the family of the driver and also the family of our colleague.

The whole congress condemns the kidnap of our colleague and the killing of the driver. We are asking for his unconditional release,’’ he said.

Lecturers at the Environmental Design Management Department wore mournful looks when The Guardian visited the university on Monday.

In a related development, David Gbadebo, the four year-old boy that was kidnapped from the premises of the First Baptist Church in Somolu area of Lagos on Sunday has been found. He was found in the early hours of Tuesday in Ogun State.

The toddler was said to have been at the children session of the church when he was suddenly declared missing. His abductors were said to have called his father and demanded for N700, 000 ransom.

Respite, however, came the way of the Gbadebo family when they received a call from policemen attached to Owode Egbado Police Division in Ogun State inviting them to come over.

To their chagrin, they found their missing child at the counter, on arriving the station. Sources close to the Gbadebo family explained that the kidnappers abandoned David at about 1:00am around Seme border yesterday, with a tag, which had his parent’s phone number scribbled on it around his neck.

Sources said no ransom was paid. When contacted on the telephone at about 6.30pm yesterday, Mr. Gbadebo who said he was on his way to the church told The Guardian to call back at about 8: 00pm.

“Yes, we have found him and we give glory to God. The kidnappers dropped him off around Otta, where some Good Samaritan saw him and took him to Owode Egbado police station, from where we were contacted. I cannot talk more than this because this place is noisy and I am on my way to church. Please call back by 8: 00pm.”