The Department of State Services, DSS, yesterday in Abuja, paraded suspected kidnappers of Chief Nitabai Inengite, an uncle to President Goodluck Jonathan.
Those nabbed include Magnus Jonah,30; Raphael Inengesi, 32; Ibeabuchi Inya, 29; Oreva Arbridi, 29; Tammy Tamarapreye and Felix Onuoha who is a native doctor from Anambra State.
Jonah, who is an indigene of Nembe town in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State confessed that he masterminded the kidnap and provided a take-off grant of N40,000 which was used for procurement of arms and other logistics in the operation.
He also confessed that prior to the kidnap of Inengite, he had maintained steady surveillance on the victim, adding that his gang had two teams for the operation.
Our role in the saga
Jonah, who hitherto was a 400-level student of the University of Jos, Plateau State, however, stated that the long strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, drove him into the illegal business.
Though Tamarapreye denied his involvement in the act, he however, admitted that he was the owner of the black Golf car used for the kidnap operation.
According to him, he was robed into the operation when Jonah made an innocent request of using the car for a burial ceremony.
I was to get 10% of ransom procced
—Herbalist
Felix Onuoha, a 48-year-old native doctor, residing in Edo State hails from Aguleri in Anambra State.
He confessed that his role in the operation was preparation of charms for fortification, success and protection in the gang’s plan to kidnap a known rich man who resided in Bayelsa State.
He stated that he played along with the kidnappers on the offer of 10 per cent made to him from the anticipated ransom and the need to save himself and family from any seeming harm that would have come from refusing to work with the group.
It will be recalled that Inengite was kidnapped on February 23, 2014 and held captive at two different locations in the creeks of Brass and Okigbene in Bayelsa State. He, however, regained his freedom after 17 days in the hands of his captors, following operations by security agents.
10 other kidnappers
In a similar development, the DSS also paraded another set of 10 kidnappers who specialised in terrorizing young women in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja and its environs.
They included Onyemire Asagba, 29, who is the leader of the gang; his second in command, Sunday Attah, 30; Zacheus Salami, 30, the armourer; Sani Mohammed, 23, the operational/utility driver, and Victor Bassey, 32.
Others were Aragba Ademo, 33; Ojo Gambo, 22; Haruna Asama, 38; Dikko Iko, 22 and Mohammed Adamu, 20.
The gang members met their nemesis on June 17, 2014 after successfully kidnapping two sisters aged 15 and 17 years respectively on June 8, 2014 at New Life Camp area of Abuja.
The girls had, however, been released from captivity following a successful operation by men of DSS who arrested the kidnappers at different places in Abuja, Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi and Plateau states.
The leader of the gang, a 29-year-old Asagba, a native of Amukpe in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, is an ex‑convict who was released from Keffi prisons on March 2013.
He told journalists that his gang received N10 million ransom before releasing the victims.
He also confessed that the operation was successfully aided by Dikko Iko, a 22-year-old from Magure village in Darkin Pawa, Niger East Local Government Area of Niger State who was a guard at the residence of the two kidnap victims.
While briefing journalists, Deputy Director, Public Relations of DSS, Marilyn Ogar, said though insurgency and terrorism in the country were utmost priorities of security agencies, the agency would still not relent in ridding the country of all other criminal activities, saying that issues of security cannot be left in the hands of security agencies alone.
