The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two
suspected kidnappers, Bashiru Raji and Christian Jacob, who confessed to have
raped a journalist and also collected N1m to release her in one of their
operations.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspected kidnappers
were arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad on August 16 in
the Egbeda area of Lagos. The police said the time of arrest was about 10am.
Our correspondent gathered that the five-man gang,
which the two suspects belonged to, was notorious in the South West for several
robbery and kidnapping operations.
It was gathered that the gang had been on the
wanted list of the police for some kidnapping operations including one
involving a female journalist in 2012.
It was further learnt that the gang, after
realising that they were wanted by the police, left the South West and went to
Delta State to continue their activities.
According to the police, Raji and Jacob were lured
from Delta State to participate in a bank robbery in Lagos, where they were
eventually arrested.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, 36-year-old Raji from
Odigbo, Ondo State, said they were paid N1m ransom for the journalist, adding
that the gang members also raped the woman.
He said, “We are five members of the gang. It was
one of my neighbours who introduced me to the gang ─ a boy who usually smoked
weeds and Indian hemp. His name is Ebiri. During the kidnap operation of that
female journalist, I was the one who drove the vehicle.
“We picked her on the expressway and took her to
our hideout. We collected N1m ransom before we released her. We also raped her.
“I did not rape her, but the other gang members
raped her. I was given N200,000 for that operation. I don’t know why the gang
kidnapped her. The other members initiated the operation, not me.
“I was working as a mechanic initially. Apart from
the kidnapping of the female journalist, we carried out other operations. We
knew we were wanted by the police. That was why we went to Delta State. It was
while in Delta that we were called that there was work for us in Lagos. When we
arrived in Lagos, we were arrested.”
Raji, who is married with seven children, added
that the person who called them had claimed they would rob a Mallam who had
dollars in Lagos and also participate in a bank robbery operation.
For 35-year-old Jacob who hails from Nkerefi, Enugu
State, a friend had invited him to participate in kidnapping the female
journalist, and he had been given N10,000 in the operation.
He said, “I was a trader in Oshodi Market, Akure. I
was selling foodstuffs. One of my friends at that time called me to participate
in the kidnapping of the woman. I was given only N10,000.
“But apart from foodstuffs, I also have a weeds
farm. I sell the weeds mostly to big buyers from the northern part of the
country. I have been doing weeds farming for about three years. After each
harvest, I make about N150,000 from the sale.”
Our correspondent learnt that the former
Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, AIG Umar Manko, had directed the Commander
of SARS, SP Abba Kyari, to get the suspected kidnappers.
Source: Punch
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