…Killed surety after N4 million ransom
Joy Anyim
Adamu Saliu, the 25-year-old suspect, involved in the murder of a big time businessman simply identified as Alhaji Oro, has narrated how members of his gang planned the criminal act while in prison.
Saliu, was recently arrested alongside five other gang members – Ibrahim Mohammed, 33, Abubakar Sadiq, 24, Tambaye Mohammed, 25, Adamu Sulaiman, 28, and Akanni Musa, 38 – by operatives of the Monitoring Tactical Unit, Zone 2 Police Command.
The Nigerian Xpress learnt that the gang camouflaged as herders in the day, while they take to their criminal role at night, kidnapping and robbing travellers and farm owners in the South West zone.
The suspect claimed that although they hardly kill their victim after payment of ransom, Oro’s killing after N4 million ransom was paid, was to silence him.
He stated that Oro a popular cattle rearer, occupied the place of a father to herders in Ogun State and environ, and had stood as surety for them when they were first arrested for robbery in Ogun State.
Saliu, however, revealed that the gang fell out with Oro after they were arrested for the second time and Oro refused to come to their rescue, hence they were sent to prison.
“It was while in prison in 2018 that we planned to deal with Alhaji Oro after we regained freedom. In 2019, we were freed. We came back to work as herdsmen, but little did Alhaji Oro know we had plans for him.
“We just wanted to deal with him for not coming to our aid, as our surety. So, we kidnapped him on his way to his farm in Eggua, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State. We took him to our hideout in the forest, where he spent a week.
“We contacted his family for N10 million ransom, but they begged that we reduce it, and we agreed for N4 million.
“After the money was paid, we decided to kill him because he might go and report to the police and then we would be arrested,” he stated.
Speaking further on the criminal exploits of the gang, Saliu confirmed they had also kidnapped a police Inspector at Ayietororo, in Ogun State, from whom they got N1 million as ransom.
Similarly, Suliamon, who organised the kidnap of an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), said his brother, a herdsman, employed by the officer to rear his cattle, sold him out.
He said, “It was my brother, Usman, that told me his boss is very rich and that we could make money by kidnapping him.
“So, on his way to his farm at Eggua, he was held in captivity for three days in the forest, and was freed after the payment of N3 million ransom.”
Giving details of investigation into the crimes perpetrated by the gang, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, Ahmed Iliyasu, revealed that the gang also kept a cache of assorted arms.
The AIG stated that five Ak47 riffles, one AK49 riffle, ammunitions and other arms were recovered from the gang’s hidepouts in the forest.
He maintained that the arrest of the suspects was in line with the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Adamu’s directive to mop up arms from criminal elements and gangs across the country.
The Zone 2 Police boss said: “The gang consists of three different deadly kidnapping syndicates of young men, who have serial records of kidnapping and killings in the South-west some. These youngsters recently kidnapped a serving woman police inspector and an operative of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ogun State and collected ransom before setting them free.
“Receiving information on the marauders, I directed my Monitoring Tactical Unit to ensure they track down the heinous perpetrators and six of them who operated in three different groups were nabbed. It was latter discovered that these criminals from the pit of hell mounted a road block on Ayetoro-Abeokuta Roads, in Yewa area of Ogun State during which the woman inspector ran into them on May 4, 2020, at about 5:25p.m.
“While they were manhandling her, the driver of a car coming behind attempted to escape their onslaught but had to pay with his dear life. These heartless animals in human sjlkin, targeted the driver and opened fire on him. Sadly, their bullet hit him and he died. Thereafter, the other female occupants of the vehicle was kidnapped alongside the woman inspector were taken into a forest for three days beforethey were releasedafter payment of ransom by their relatives.”
The AIG also disclosed that the gang had traced another target, identified as Umaru, at Awaiye in Oyo State, and trekked from Ogun State to the location of their target for two weeks.
“They ambushed him on his way to the farm and successfully seized him. He was in their captivity for two days and was able to meet the kidnappers’ demand of N1 million for his release. In another development, these syndicates targeted one Alhaji Adegoke, near Iseyin in Oyo State, during which they made a demand of N25 million ransom from his relatives.
“But while that was on, one of them with AK47 rifle was on his guard while others went out for yet another operation. It was at this point that fate played in the victim’s favour. The man on guard slept off, and Alhaji Adegoke escaped. He cleverly hid himself in the forest to the extent that on realising his escape, the raging kidnappers, in their large number, scattered into the forest, shooting sporadically with the intention to have him killed. He, however, succesfully escaped.”
