Five Suspects in Police Net for Alleged Kidnapping

Rebecca Ejifoma

The Lagos State Police has arrested five men for allegedly kidnapping one Murtala Babarbe from Shoprite Alausa to Iju area of Lagos state.

The suspects – Owen Onazurulike (21), Patrick Modupe (41), Chika Amadi (31), Kabiru Azeez (31) and Jamiu Jimoh (41) – were said to have taken the victim to a hideout in Ishaga after abduction.

“At the hideout, men, who claimed to be members of the Odua People’s Congress subjected the victim to trial by ordeal and extorted money from him before he was rescued by men of Iju police station,” the State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, said.

Denying the allegation, one of the suspects, Onazurulike expressed: “I am not a kidnapper and the allegation made by the victim against me is false.”

“On Sunday, my friend called I told him that my phone was missing. He then sent his younger brother to go with me and withdraw some money at Shoprite so I could buy a new phone.

“When we got there, I saw Bala (victim) who was owing me N180,000 since last year. When I asked him for my money, he pleaded I be patient, as he just left police cell over issues with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),” he said.
Accordingly, Onazurulike continued: “So, I asked him to give me his phone. While we were still talking, my friend’s younger brother showed up. On seeing Bala, he said Bala was owing his brother some money, too.”
The 21 years old told newsmen that the friend’s brother drove off. “Few minutes after, he returned with these men (pointing to the other suspects) and said they were members of the OPC.

“When I saw them, I thought they were police officers, so I pleaded with them that I didn’t want any issue, but they demanded I gave them N10,000 which I didn’t have. So, they took Bala away,” Onazurulike expressed.

Meanwhile, the CP said that one unregistered Toyota Camry was recovered from the alleged suspects.