Three male suspected kidnappers have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command.

Obiora Ifeanyi 29, Peter
Emmanuel, 28, and Stephen
Eze, 24 were arrested on
September 29th at Satellite
Town for allegedly
kidnapping an auto dealer,
Hyacinth Duru. The Deputy
Spokesperson for the police,
Adesanya Jinadu, said the
combined efforts of the
officers of the command led
to the arrest of the suspects.


“On the 29th of September,
one Mrs Edith Duru brought a
petition to the police that her
husband, Mr Hyacinth Duru,
has been kidnapped,” he said.

“She said her husband’s
kidnappers were demanding
the sum of N5million as
ransom. The police officers
from the anti-robbery unit at
the state Criminal
Investigation Department
Panti, Yaba, told her to play
along. The suspects told her
to drop the ransom at Alakija
Bus Stop, but unknown to
them, the police officers who
had laid surveillance in the
area swooped on one Stephen
Eze who picked up the bag
containing the money. Eze
was arrested and he led the
officers to St. Paul’s Close,
Satellite Town, where other
members of the syndicate
were holding the victim
hostage. They were promptly
arrested and the victim
rescued alive.”
Mr Jinadu added that when
the officers conducted a
search in the apartment
where the suspects kept the
victim, they found a locally
made pistol, five red candle
sticks, a white blood stained
bowl, a kitchen knife and an
electrical wire allegedly
used to tie up the victim.

The victim, a father of seven,
narrated his ordeal in the
hands the suspects. “I do not
know any one of them, and
that day, they called me on
the phone that I should meet
them at Maza Maza that they
want to buy a luxury bus,” he
said. “We negotiated and
they said I should follow
them to their company to
collect the cheque. It was
when we got to where they
claimed was their company
that they tied my face, they
beat me up and tied my
hands. They collected my
phone and informed my wife
that she should bring
N5million for my ransom. I
was with them for three days
and they did not give me food
or water to drink. I thank the
police for rescuing me from
their hands.”

Mr Ifeanyi, who allegedly
masterminded the kidnap,
said he abducted the victim
to collect an outstanding
debt. “Mr Duru told me that
he wanted to sell a bus,” he
said. “On January 29th, he
told me that if I can get
N500, 000 he will sell the
bus to me. I gave him N340,
000 and after three months I
called him that I have the
remaining balance but he
kept telling me that he was at
Owerri (Imo State). I felt he
was trying to dupe me so I
told him that he should
refund my money that I am
not interested in buying the
bus but he kept dribbling me.
So I have to organise for him
to stay in my house so that
his family will pay me my
money.”
Mr Jinadu said the police
were continuing
investigations to unravel the
truth of the matter, and
advised Lagos residents to be
wary of strangers and people
who offer them free rides.

“Residents in the state are
advised to shun free rides
and offers from persons who
they do not know,” he said.
“The timely intervention of
the police led to the arrest of
the suspects. All cases of
kidnapping should be
reported to the police
promptly. The case is under
investigation and the
suspects will be charged to
court soon.”