Facebook friend invited to birthday party, kidnapped

By Akanni Hamdalat Opeyemi

The Abia State Police Command Alaribe, arrested the leader of a kidnap gang who is identified as Prince Agorom, who allegedly invited his friend to his birthday party, seized him and demanded N5 million ransom. Police sources said that one Ozoemelam, who lives at Ugorji Street, Aba, had lodged a report that he met one Johnson on social media and that after chatting with him for few days, Johnson invited him to a birthday party at Ibegbulam Street, Omuma Road area, Aba.

Meanwhile, a kidnap syndicate in Delta State, run by a father, his son, nephews and other relations, has been uncovered by the Police in the state. Facebook Commissioner of Police, Delta Command, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim, who confirmed the story, said that a 56-year-old man, Musa, was behind the syndicate.

He said the suspect was arrested by policemen at Ashaka Division and brought to the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad, SAKCCSý, office in Asaba. when Ozoemelam arrived for the birthday party, he was beaten up, forced to surrender his belongings and his mobile phone was used to call his elder brother, and a demand of N5 million ransom made for his freedom. However, the victim managed to escape from the kidnappers’ den at midnight, while the suspects were asleep, and reported to the Police. Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, who confirmed the incident, said the Police on receiving the report, swung into action and arrested the suspected leader of the gang, Prince Agorom. Oyebade added that the suspect had confessed that he is the leader of a four-man kidnap gang and that efforts were on to arrest other suspects. Family of kidnappers On the Delta State family of kidnappers, the state’s Police boss, Ibrahim, said “Intelligence at the disposal of the Command revealed vividly that the suspect has complicity in most kidnap cases as he sponsors, harbours and conceals activities of most kidnapping syndicates, mainly dominated by his sons, nephews and his close relations. “Also arrested are Musa, son; Yakuku, nephew; Abdulkarim, nephew, all in prison custody; Saadu, a close associate; Dahiru, a distant relation, and one Ibrahim, now deceased. “All the suspects lived in the same compound with the chief suspect, who is the current Chairman the state’s association of cattle herders. “Further intelligence revealed that the house of the suspect is used as a den, where victims are kept. The case is under investigation.”