*Gang
kidnaps ambassador, politician, doctors
· Suspect:
I used my share to marry
The Nigeria Police have arrested seven gang members,
including a lady, who allegedly specialised in kidnapping and armed robbery.
The gang allegedly used to terrorise Kaduna, Abia,
Imo and Delta states. The gang’s defeat started on January 1, 2017, after some
of its members were arrested.
The suspects have been identified as Dominic Nwapka,
33, the gang leader, IfeanyiChukwu Okamba 35, second in commander, Clinton
Abere 29, Balat Paul, 30, driver of the gang, Ibrahim Samuel 27, Jatto Peter 29,
a dismissed policeman and Afini Paul, the only lady in the gang.
Afini is said to be the lover of Nwapka. She’s also
the sister of Balat. Police said Afini rented
a two bed-room flat apartment at Marabarido, Kaduna State, where the gang used
to keep their hostages.
According to the police, Afini’s role in the gang is
not just to make love with Nwapka, but also to cook for the victims and provide
accommodation. She gets N300, 000 every day for her troubles.
The suspects were alleged to be responsible for the
kidnapping of the former Minister of State for foreign Affairs, Ambassador
Bagudu Hirse. The gang also admitted to abducting Dr. Abdulmalik Durunguwa and
his wife in their residence at different intervals in Kaduna. The husband and
wife were released after ransom was paid.
A member of
Kaduna State House of Assembly, Honourable Ibrahim Samaila was also kidnapped
by the gang at Abakpa area of Kaduna State and undisclosed ransom paid to the
gang before his release.
Nwapka was arrested in Lagos, while Abere and Okamba
were arrested at a hotel. Balat and Samuel were arrested in Kaduna.
Abere was said to have sustained injuries after he
allegedly jumped through the window of his hotel room at the 4th
floor, in his desperate attempt to evade police arrest. He was taken to Police
College Clinic, Ikeja, for treatment.
It was alleged that Peter used to wear his police
uniform, while marching victims to the kidnappers’ den.
The police said: “The gang has snatched two Corolla
cars and a Hilux van. Dominic has a car ‘crosser’
known as Sani Ayub; his duty is to move stolen cars out of Kaduna State. The gang kidnapped a medical doctor in 2016
at Aba, Abia State. They collected N20million ransom. They also kidnapped an
importer, who paid N5million as ransom. The gang kidnapped and killed an
unknown man in their den, at Aba. Two Pump Action rifles, 145 pieces of AK47
rifles, 131 round of ammunition, 21 cartridges, six pieces of 9mm ammunition, a
complete police camouflage, two army face caps, one anti-tracking device, mask
and assorted charms were recovered from them.”
Nwapka from Abia State said he had his primary and
secondary school education in Kaduna State. He worked with United Parcel
Service, (UPS) for two years. He would later lose his job in 2004.
In 2006, he met one John, a motorcycle operator.
John introduced him to two soldiers, Paul and Oliver. He said that it was
through the soldiers and John that he started robbery.
He said: “We went to Jos, but on our way back to
Kaduna State, we robbed a filling station. We were arrested and later remanded
in prison. We spent four years in prison before we were granted bail. After prison, I went to work with a factory
as a manger. I worked and raised some money. I went back to school and got my Higher
National Diploma Certificate (HND).”
It was in Abia State, where his parents reside, that
he met Okamba. They became friends. He would later travel to Enugu, where he
met Abere. Abere introduced him to Alhaji Abdulahi Garukuwa in Kaduna.
Nwapka said:
“It seems Clinton has been doing business with the man. When I called the man,
he invited us to come to Kaduna. When we met, he told me that he buys stolen
cars. The Alhaji bought guns for us. He used to take us in his car for
operations. Whenever we snatch cars, he would call a driver to come and take
them away.”
Nwapka said the gang snatched several cars. He
raised enough money to rent an apartment in Asaba and a shop. He was re-arrested and remanded in prison
when he was travelling and police carried out a random search of his bag. A gun
was found.
He said: “I was bailed. My house rent got expired. I
relocated from Asaba to my village in Abia State. IfeanyiChukwu called me one day; he
introduced me to some of his friends who were into kidnapping. We started
kidnapping. We abducted an importer in Aba. The importer’s family paid N5
million ransom, before we released him. A
guy, Wakawe, brought the job. We kidnapped a medical doctor and held him
hostage in a gang member’s house. We collected N10million ransom from the
doctor’s family. We abducted another medical doctor and got N470, 000 ransom.
We also collected his Sequoia SUV. Those were the jobs I did in Abia State with
IfeanyiChukwu and others. I relocated to Kaduna because people were hunting for
kidnappers in Abia. My younger brother
was arrested.”
According to Nwapka, he relocated to Kaduna and invited
Abere to see him. When Abere was coming, he came with a guy called Commissioner.
The Commissioner also had a car. They used the car and started kidnapping.
Nwapka said: “Balat brought the first kidnapping of
Dr Abdulmalick. We collected N5million ransom for his release. We also kidnapped a member of the Kaduna
State House Assembly. His family paid N10million. We then kidnapped a woman, Dr. Abdulmalik. We
didn’t know she’s the wife of Dr. Abdulmalick, whom we abducted earlier. When
her husband called, we apologised and told him to give us whatever he had.”
He confessed that the gang later kidnapped an ambassador.
The man paid N1 million.
He said: “I was arrested in Lagos State when I came
to visit my sister. Police tracked and shot my two legs. The police took me to
my sister’s house and collected my phones. They didn’t want anyone to alert my
friends that I had been arrested. The policemen recovered my car, but not my
pistol.”
Akamba explained that he went into kidnapping in
2015. He met someone in prison, who initiated him into the crime.
He said: “I have gone for five kidnapping operations;
four in Aba, Abia State and one in Kaduna. In the last job we carried out in
Aba, the victim died. Our gang member shot sporadically on the ground because
the man refused to enter the vehicle. The bullet got him. I used money raised
from kidnapping to marry my wife in December.”
Peter, the dismissed policeman, said that he was
kicked out of the Nigeria Police Force because he killed. He said someone
linked him to Nwapka.
He said: “The gang wanted to make use of my uniform.
Dominic wanted me to wear my uniform and escort him. He used to give me N50,
000. Two days later, we kidnapped someone and I was given N200, 000. We did the
second one and Dominic gave me N400, 000.
He asked me to come to Kaduna; I escorted cars for him. It was on the
third occasion that I was arrested and taken to prison. I spent seven months in
prison.”
Narrating his own story, Balat said that he joined
the gang through the influence of his sister, Afini, who was Nwapka’s lover.
He said: “I joined the gang last year. I was like an
errand boy to Dominic.”
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