FOR the past four years they had laid siege to Edo state, feeding fat on unsuspecting and hapless residents through hostage taking. Not a few prominent Edo indigens had sleepless nights and did all they could to assist security operatives to checkmate the menace.
The kidnappers most of them, school dropouts and motor-cyclist operators did rake in several millions of naira from their ungodly business and became eventual ‘big boys’ in the city. Whereas, the wise ones among them left the state for other states of the federation and diversified, some remained at their operational base; the heartbeat of the nation still perpetrating the crime.
Two members of the notorious gang even left the shores of the country in pursuit of a more dignified endeavour; but the lucrativeness of kidnapping soon brought them back together and they became much more vicious. However, they were not aware that it was no
longer business as usual in the state. The Edo state Police Command under Mr. Olayinka Balogun had intensified efforts against the menace and was all out for these enemies of the state.
They had spread their dragnet across the nook and crannies of the state even as motorized patrols by police men became much more regular. As usual, the seven man gang in their recent operation which later backfired had kidnapped a middle-age woman (names withheld), blindfolded and drove her into a camp by Ikpoba hill where she was held hostage.
They got her husband telephone number and of course, called him to pay a N10m ransom or have his wife killed. Three days on, the victim’s husband who had reported the matter to the police was instructed to be playing along with the kidnappers’ antics. But something happened while expecting to receive their loot. Three members of the gang detailed to keep watch over their victim had developed likeness for her.
They struck a deal to sleep with her and let her go afterwards. Left with no other option, the defenseless woman consented to the ‘deal’ and she had her hands and legs untied while the band used in blindfolding her was equally removed. The men had their turns, became exhausted and slept off.
Quickly and smartly too, the mother of four removed a GSM handset from the chest pocket of one of the kidnappers, tiptoed to a corner and called her husband who was at the time with a team of anti-kidnappers’ squad and described the area she was being held hostage. Before long, the team led by the Officer in Charge, OC, stormed the camp and started combing it.
While the search continued, one of the kidnappers had woken up and was coming out of the forest to the expressway ostensibly to buy some loaves of bread and sachet water for the woman as well as for themselves. But he was confronted by two plain-cloth detectives who demanded for his mission in the forest that hour.
Initially, he feigned ignorance but buckled later and took the detectives to the spot where two other members and the woman were. They were promptly arrested and taken to the station. This was however, without the knowledge of other gang members. It was therefore, the confession of the arrested ones that led to the arrest of other members of the syndicate including the leader of the gang who was declared wanted by the police since 2009.
Individually, they narrated to Crime Guard how they got involved in the devilish business and their respective roles. First to speak was the kingpin said to be on the wanted list of the police since 2009. He gave his name as Izegbe Emmanuel.
Culled- Check Vanguard
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