Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr.
Ibrahim Idris’s Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), have arrested one of
the kidnappers, who attacked North Estate at Isheri, Lagos State, killing three
guards and abducting the Community Development Association Secretary, Mr. Dayo
Adekoya.
The suspect, Joseph Omoni, 38, a native of Ese-Odo
area of Ondo State, was trailed and arrested by operatives of IRT, moments
after leaving the creeks to his building construction site in Ogijo area of
Ogun State.
Police said that Omoni was among suspected
kidnappers, who killed three guards last Thursday and inflicted gunshot
injuries on two others, before abducting Adekoya. Omoni and his partners in
crime wore military camouflage and armed themselves with sophisticated guns.
Omoni admitted taking part in the kidnapping within
Ikorodu and Isheri areas of Lagos and Ogun states.
According to him, he got N2million as his share
after the Turkish school kidnapping. He also received N250, 000 after the
Ali-Balogun killing and kidnap incident.
He disclosed that the gang got a ransom of N5million
before Adekoya was released.
Omoni further said: “We were more than 20 in the
camp; I got N250, 000 as my share from the N5million ransom. Yes, I took part
in the operation. I was in the man house and it was Stone and Chairman who shot
the Estate security guards. The guards wanted to stop our operation. I don't
know the informant who brought the job because he communicated exclusively with
Stone and America. Stone and America are the commanders in the camp.”
Omoni said that he didn’t go with the gang for the
Turkish school abduction.
He said: “But I was in the camp when the money was
paid. I invested a large part of it in my binding project in Ogijo. I bought
tiles, roofing sheets and toiletries. I sent some of my share to my family in
the village. Before I was arrested, Chairman
and I came to the site to check our projects and to see what was left. I don't
know how the police learned of our presence in the area and came after us.
Chairman managed to escape.”
Adekoya regained his freedom at the early hours of
Monday after an undisclosed sum of money was paid as ransom.
A police source said: “Omoni and other kidnappers
still at large have been linked to the kidnapping of eight students and staff
of the Nigerian Turkish International College, NTIC, Ogun State. The gang was
also responsible for the December 2016 killing of Aisha Ali-Balogun, a
presenter of a popular comedy show, Stand up Nigeria. They also abducted
Aisha’s two-year-old daughter and six other persons.”
It was gathered that IRT operatives, led by as
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr. Abba Kyari, were deployed to Lagos
and Ogun states by the IGP to track and arrest the kidnappers.
Determined to catch the suspects, Kyari and his men
went undercover, keeping surveillance around creeks in both states. Even after
Adekoya was released, the policemen still kept watch at the creeks until Omoni
walked out.
Another police source said: “The police got a tip-off
that two members of the kidnappers, Omoni and Chairman, were sighted at Ogijo
area of Ogun State. The operatives trailed the suspects to the locations where
they saw and arrested Omoni, but Chairman escaped. Two buildings, belonging to
the gang members, located within the area Omoni was arrested were discovered
and sealed.”
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