How police foiled plans to kidnap oil Magnate, Otedola

• arrest suspects

A dismissed soldier and a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were among three suspects that have been arrested for attempting to kidnap oil mogul Femi Otedola.

The suspects identified as Ayobamide Adeyemi of the NSCDC and Ayodele Ibitayo, the dismissed soldier, and a rusticated student of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Ikechukwu Daniel, were arrested by the Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

The suspects admitted wanting to collect the sum of N1 billion as ransom if they had succeeded in seizing and holding Otedola.

The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Don Awunah, disclosed in a statement how the suspects were arrested by the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) on the 23rd June, 2016.

The arrest was achieved through coordinated intelligence gathering and deployment of technical investigative tools that spanned several weeks.

He explained that the Principal suspect, one Ikechukwu Daniel, a 28 year old indigene of Imo State, who is the mastermind of the gang, was rusticated from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria due to his cult related activities on campus in 2009/2010.

He also doubles as the IT guru of the kidnap gang with mastery of Computer applications. He made damning revelations of their criminal exploits in the South West of the Country.

“Another member of the gang, 29 year old Adeyemi Kayode, a serving officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence corps and a native of Ojoo in Ibadan, Oyo State serves as a Personal Assistant to the Commandant, NSCDC Oyo State Command.

“The suspect took undue advantage of his office to obtain the GSM number and location of their would be victim. He hatched the plan on how to kidnap the business magnate to make a demand of N1 billion ransom.

“The third suspect, Ayodele Temitayo, a native of Oyo in Ibadan, Oyo State who is the marksman and armourer of the gang, claimed to have been dismissed from 213 Battalion Maiduguri of Nigeria Army as a Private in 2015.

It was learnt that they have successfully carried out several high profile kidnappings with two AK47 rifles loaded with live ammunition which were recovered from them.

Awunah added that the police are currently intensifying efforts to apprehend other members of the gang and extend investigation to their other criminal enterprise.

Following this development, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has restated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to clamp down on all criminal activities across the country and reassures law abiding citizens that criminal elements would be eventually apprehended and charged to court.

The IGP urges Nigerians to avail the Police with relevant information that will help in the crusade against crime; as such information would be treated with utmost confidentiality.