Lagos detectives have ramped up their efforts against kidnapping syndicates, conducting a series of successful operations that have led to multiple arrests. A significant breakthrough occurred in Ajah, a Lagos suburb, following the recent neutralization of nine notorious kidnappers with ties to billionaires.
According to Vanguard, this victory came after a gang abducted an oil magnate on Ado Road in Ajah several months ago. The kidnappers, armed and dangerous, escaped with their victim via waterways, eventually reaching the creeks in Ondo State.
The abduction took place at the magnate’s dredging site, where a six-man gang stormed the area, forcibly took him into a speedboat, and fled through the waterways. The kidnappers fired shots into the air to deter anyone from pursuing them.
Desperate Escape Attempt
During the escape, the victim made a daring attempt to flee by jumping into the river. However, the kidnappers quickly followed and recaptured him, taking him to their hideout in the Ikorodu area of Lagos. They transferred him from the speedboat to a wooden canoe, deep into the creeks, allowing him to contact his family only on the third day, demanding a ransom of N200 million.
Ransom Negotiations
The victim’s family managed to gather N42 million, converting it to $30,000 as the kidnappers demanded, along with an additional N100,000. When the victim’s elder brother volunteered to deliver the ransom, the kidnappers insisted on speaking with the victim’s wife. Despite her pleas, they demanded that she personally deliver the ransom, threatening to kill her husband if she refused.
Driven by love and desperation, the heavily pregnant woman agreed to their demands.
A Treacherous Journey
The following day, she embarked on a perilous journey with a driver from their home in Ajah. The kidnappers guided her by phone, directing her first towards Ore, 167 kilometers from Lagos. As the journey progressed, they issued orders for her to turn back to Sagamu, and later return to Ajah. The ordeal involved continuous threats from the kidnappers, who warned against involving the police, under threat of killing both her husband and her driver.
After a grueling 12-hour journey, the kidnappers finally directed her to a remote location in Odogbolu, Ogun State, where she was instructed to walk through a bush path and drop the ransom. Moments later, she and the driver were ordered to rush back to the road without looking back.
A Narrow Escape
Fortunately, upon returning home to Ajah, the victim was already safe, having been released in the Epe area, from where he made his way home. He recounted how his abductors had robbed him of a gold necklace worth N25 million, a gold chain valued at N11.8 million, and two gold rings worth N3.4 million. The kidnappers released him after confirming the ransom payment.
Suspects’ Confession
The suspects, now in custody, confessed to the crime. One of them, Ikuesan, a professional speedboat driver from Pare town in Igbokoda, Ondo State, revealed that he had met his accomplices during previous illegal bunkering activities. He disclosed that the gang had sold the victim’s gold chains and shared the ransom proceeds.
Ill-Gotten Gains
Police sources revealed that one of the suspects, Oke, alias “Old Soldier,” had been involved in bunkering and kidnapping for years, using his criminal gains to build a mansion in Badagry, Lagos. Oke expressed regret, claiming that he had been lured into the crime by his colleagues and lamenting the consequences of his actions.
The second suspect, Adelaja, admitted using his share of the ransom to purchase a new boat. Both men revealed that they were married, with Oke having nine children from various women and Adelaja having one wife and a daughter.