APOLOGY LETTER

Turkish school: How Victim, relative aided kidnap gang

— 27th January 2017

Police unveil 4 nabbed suspects

By Christopher Orji           THE SUN

Security agencies investigating the kidnap of students and officials of Nigeria-Turkish College, Isheri, Ogun State have made a shocking discovery, to the effect that one of the victims and her relatives were involved. Consequently, the suspects have been arrested.

The three students and five officials of the school, who were kidnapped on Friday, January 6, 2017, were freed on Tuesday, after 12 days in captivity.

Daily Sun gathered that the  kidnapped victim, and her relative had links with the kidnappers and fed them with information.

Competent sources revealed that the suspect, during one of the meetings  families of the victims and security operatives had, was always going out to make phone calls.

Wondering why he was making frequent calls, it was gathered, security operatives kept tabs on him, using the telecommunication company, wherein it was discovered that he made over 20 calls to a particular number. Convinced that he may be calling the kidnappers, to give them information, security agent monitored him until on Wednesday, when he was arrested at the  school premises, as he called after the victims were freed.

Sources told Daily Sun that the kidnapped victim related to the man was not seen when the freed victims were brought into the school premises Tuesday night, leading to the suspicion that she may have been arrested prior to that.

Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2 command, Onikan, Lagos who confirmed the arrest without revealing the identities of those involved, said: “The zonal headquarters wishes to state emphatically that it had been on top the situation right from inception, that it is not aware and was not part of any ransom payment, and that the real masterminds of the kidnap operation have been arrested.

“They will soon be revealed in a comprehensive press briefing from the Force Headquarters Abuja.”

He expressed thanks to those who played roles in the operation, leading to the release of the kidnapped victims, stating:  “I appreciate everyone who played a part in the rescue operation and assure all that the command will not relent in its fight against crime and criminality, according to the mandate of the Nigeria Police under the leadership of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris.

“The Inspector General of Police had, before now, given a marching order to the police to arrest those involved in the abduction. Following the instruction, the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by ACP Abba Kyari raided some criminal hideout, where the most wanted suspected kidnapper, General Kakadu and his right hand man, Council Raw, were picked. Also arrested by IRT was a suspected kidnapper in military camouflage coming out from the creek.

Meanwhile, one of the kidnapped victims has revealed their experiences in captivity.

According to her, after their abduction from school, they were taken to a house with a large compound.

She revealed that during captivity, the kidnappers always brought them out and left them in the open, where they were at the mercy of the elements.

The kidnappers, she said, would take them back to the rooms in the evening, a routine that continued till they were freed.

In a related development, the Police yesterday revealed that four members of the kidnap gang have been arrested and the sum of N1. 2million, suspected to be their share of the ransom collected.

Revealing this in Abuja, yesterday, the Force Public Relations Officer,  CP Don Awunah, gave the names of the suspects as Bekewei Agbojule, aka “Prince Yellow,” Philip Joel Kakadu, aka “General Kakadu,” a militant leader, Romeo Council, aka “Raw” and Totki Okoda, (the informant).

He stated: “The IGP’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT), working in synergy with the Tactical Intelligence Unit (TIU) of the Nigeria Police Force, in a joint operation supervised by AIG Kayode Aderanti, AIG Zone 2, Lagos successfully smashed the notorious kidnap gang and arrested four vicious kidnappers, who are active members of the gang.

“In the course of investigation into the dastardly crime, three suspects, namely Are Philip Joel Kakadu aka “General Kakadu,” a militant leader; Romeo Council aka “Raw” and Totki Okoda, who lives in the fishermen’s community behind the school and provided information about the victims to his gang, were trailed and arrested  at different locations in Delta, Ogun and Lagos states respectively, for the criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime.

“Further investigation and sustained pursuit of the matter by the Intelligence Response Team, led to the arrest of Bekewei Agbojule aka “Prince Yellow,” a principal suspect and one of the key members of the gang on the 25th January, 2017, at about 0700hrs in the morning.

“The suspect, who is an Ijaw from Arogbo town in Ondo State, was arrested after he came out of the creeks to enjoy his loot, N1.2million , his share of the ransom money which was recovered from him.

“The four suspects confessed to the crime, volunteered useful statements to the investigators and are cooperating with the Police. Concerted efforts are being made to arrest the remaining suspects who are at large. All the suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.”