Kidnapping Is Like A Business To Me- Kidnap Kingpin, As Vigilante Boss, Other Gang Members Were Arrested For Kidnapping In Delta

“Kidnapping is like a business to me, lack of job and bad economy of the country forced me into crime, I choose kidnapping because that is what I think I can do best, now I am in trouble and since I entered this business, I never killed anybody”.

“What me and other gang members do is to just collect the ransom and let the person (victim) go, we do pity them, but we do not have any other option, but this crime of kidnapping”.

“I have carried out about five successful kidnappings and my share ran into millions of naira, I bought cars with the money and proposed to establish a business before this arrest, it is not like we like this job, but we kidnappers are forced into crime, you will have rich leaders and brothers, they will not help you, rather they will be exhibiting wealth in your presence”.

“It will interest you to know that most people who are victims of kidnapping are brought and arranged by their own brothers and sisters who they refused to help, just like this very one that led to our arrest was initiated by a brother of the woman, she may have refused to assist”.

“I just want to confess so not to please anybody, particularly the police to free me, but just for God to forgive me for all the wrongs I have done to humanity. I deserve this punishment that I am undergoing now, the Bible says; say the truth and it shall set you free, hence I am confessing”.

These were the exact confessional statements of a kingpin suspect, Joshua Okoh, when he was paraded by police at the headquarters, Asaba Delta State last Tuesday.

The kidnap leader who hails from Udu Local Government Area of the state, he has two guns that the gang uses in carrying out kidnap operations and that after a successful operation, the victim is kept in their hideout located in a bush in Ekrehavwe town, Ughelli North Local Government Area.

Joshua who was arrested with four other suspected members of his gang namely; Anthony Oren, alleged to be the vigilante boss of Orhakpo community in Ughelli North Local Government, ThankGod Okeperhie, Dennis (surname unknown), still at large and Clement Efanyobera, attributed the action of the gang members to the devils who manipulated him into crime.

“If I am left off this hook, I will never go into crime again, just look at my leg, the police shot me and today, the leg is swollen and it is paining me very seriously, I hate myself, please God forgive me, I will never go into crime in all my life, I now know that crime is not good, the end is always bad”.

I am crying and regretting everything, but it is a good experience, if not, I will not have a heart of repentance that I now have today, I pray that all criminals should pass through what we are passing through so that they can repent, because when you are in the underworld, you feel nothing can happen to you, but I am some-how happy that I am arrested. This will stop me from criminality, the kidnap-kingpin said while in tears.

Parading the suspects, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zanna Mohammed Ibrahim, said the suspects were arrested in connection with the abduction of a housewife, Mrs. Judith Osayande in Warri.

The police boss said on October 30, 2016, unknown gunmen kidnapped Mrs. Judith Osayande along Edjeba Road, Warri. He said on November 2, 2016, while acting on a tip off, operatives of SARS, Asaba stormed Ejewu community in Udu Local Government Area and affected the arrest of the suspected kidnap-kingpin, Joshua Okoh (aka ONOS).

The Police Boss said the suspect allegedly confessed to the crime and upon search carried out in his house, the sum of N1.8m, being part of the ransom of N3m collected before releasing the victim was recovered.

Also recovered from the suspects was the victim’s Toyota Camry with number; BEN 825JA, two guns, 13 live cartridges, one Honda Accord belonging to the suspect, suspected to have been bought with the proceeds from kidnapping operations.

Meanwhile, armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism have endangered the lives of many in society, particularly the youths who are already involved in these crimes.

Many have gone through a lot of pains due to the above three mentioned crimes and a lot of lives and property have been lost also. However, recently, nemesis caught up with two suspected members of an armed robbery gang as they were arrested and charged to court in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The accused/suspects were slammed with a seven count charge bordering on armed robbery, cultism, stealing, attempted murder, intimidation, illegal possession of arms among others.

They were arraigned before an Asaba Chief Magistrate Court with charge number, CMC/619c/2016, brought to court by the police prosecutor. The charges read thus: that you Onyeka Opone, 27 years old, and Sylvester Ojie Nwabuwene, aged 25 years and one other person at large, on the 9th of September, 2016, at Obiaruku in the Obiaruku Magisterial District, did conspire to commit armed robbery, rob one Theophilus Okolo of his motorcycle valued at N168, 000.00, attempted to kill the said victim with a gun, and illegally being in possession of gun and ammunition, thereby committed an offence punishable under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

When the charges were read to the accused persons, they pleaded not guilty while the trial magistrate adjourned the case to a later date for hearing.