Abducted landlords: My father heads kidnapping ring, says suspect

*Two ladies, include nursing mother held

* Suspects admitted killing SARS operative

IGP, Idris

One of the suspects, Mr. Trust Bourdilon 28, arrested in connection with the abduction of four landlords at the Isheri North area of Lagos/Ogun boundary, two weeks ago, has told police detectives that his father is the kingpin of their gang.

Bourdilon was arrested along with five others, including two ladies. One of the ladies is a nursing mother. The six suspects were arrested within interval of four days.

According to Bourdilon, his father, who is still at large, is the brain behind most of the kidnappings in Lagos and Ogun states.

Describing the landlords’ abduction as their last operation before operatives of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris’s Special Intelligence Response Squad(IRT) arrested him, Bourdilon said the gang collected N12million ransom for the landlords, but his dad gave him just N350,000 as his share.

It was gathered that Idris had instructed the IRT operatives, to hunt down the kidnappers and rescue the abducted landlords. The operatives had been working underground until the eventual breakthrough on September 27, 2016.

Bourdilon, who was apparently miffed at his father’s sharing formula, further recollected that there was a time the gang kidnapped a victim and collected N3m ransom, his dad gave him N300, 000.

A police source said: “The suspects were arrested in different parts of the country; Lagos, Ogun, Delta and Ondo states. Trust confessed that his dad is the leader of the gang and used to bring kidnapping operations to them to execute. His dad used to locate targets, which the gang goes after. The gang has six AK47 rifles, which they use for operations. The last operation was the abduction of the landlords. ThankGod’s role in the gang is that of an informant. His job is to go out; mix with members of the community, where they had kidnapped people and get information on what is happening and what police are doing about the kidnap. Trust confessed to be among suspected militants that ambushed policemen and killed a SARS operative, Solomon Esemuze at Iba. Trust’s father is yet to be arrested. Trust said that there was an operation they went and collected N3m, but the dad gave him just N300, 000.”

One of the ladies in police custody is said to be a lover to Bourdilon, while the second lady, who is still nursing a new born baby is said to be the wife of ThankGod.

Bourdilon confessed to police investigators, that he was part of those that ambushed SARS operatives some weeks ago at New Haven Estate in Igbelaju area of Iba, Lagos and killed a sergeant Esemuze.

Esemuze was among a team of policemen deployed by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, to the Iba area of the state, about 11a.m. to repel militants’ incessant attacks on members of the community. Owoseni deployed policemen to the area following a series of abductions of landlords in the estate.

It was gathered that the kidnapping of landlords was so prevalent, that most house owners bolted, leaving their property and tenants.  Before the landlords started fleeing, about three had already been abducted for ransom.

A police source said: “It was based on the constant attacks in that area that the commissioner ordered SARS men to go there. When they got there, they combed everywhere in the community, but found no traces of militants. They were about to leave when some members of the community ran to tell them that the militants were around. As they embarked on another round of search, they ran into gunfire. The militants laid ambush for them. The shooting was heavy. The SARS men replied and also called for re-enforcement. The militants jumped into the river and escaped. Esemuze was killed in the ambush.”