3 K!dnappers Arrèsted While Waiting To Collect N150m Rànsom From Their Viçtim’s Family
Police detectives from Zone 2 Command have apprehended three individuals, including a 64-year-old driver named Kwasi Samuel, in connection with the abduction of a 10-year-old boy from his family’s home in Millionaires Estate, Oniru area of Lagos.
Samuel, who was employed by the boy’s mother, has been identified as the main culprit behind the kidnapping.
The other suspects arrested alongside Samuel are Unwachukeu Monday (24) and Freeman Ekpebo.
The suspects had demanded a ransom of N150 million before they were traced to two hotels in the Ijanikin area of Lagos. Upon their arrest, Samuel feigned being abducted along with the boy.
The arrest came after the victim’s parents reported the incident to the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Zone 2, Olatoye Durosinmi.
According to Umma Ayuba, spokesperson for Zone 2, the kidnap was reported on March 26, 2024, at around 6 am by a resident of Millionaires Estate, involving her son, maid, and driver.
Acting on intelligence, a team of detectives led by CSP Tijjani Taofiq swiftly employed tracking techniques, leading to the discovery of the kidnappers’ hideout in the Ayetoro area of Ijanikin along the Badagry Expressway.
Ayuba explained that, “On March 28, 2024, at 3:40pm officers raided the hideout at Cozzy Hotel, Ijanikin, where one of the suspects, Nnachukwu Monday, was arrested and the victims rescued.
“In a coordinated operation, Mr Samuel Kwasi, the driver, and one Freeman Ekpebo, were apprehended at Sun Era Hotel, Ijanikin, where they were waiting to receive the ransom. Investigation revealed Mr Kwasi to be the mastermind of the kidnap.
“Mr Kwasi has confessed to demobilising the car’s tracking device before the operation. The car’s tracking device and a knife were recovered from the hotel room at Sun Era Hotel where the suspects were lodged.”
