Residents nab ‘kidnap’ syndicate operating in Taxi

Residents of Bariga have arrested members of a suspected kidnap and robbery syndicate operating in a taxi.

The suspects including an old man said to be the driver were arrested on Wednesday after one of the victims identified their operational vehicle, a dark green Toyota Camry.

It was gathered that the victim, a woman, had boarded the taxi on Tuesday on her way to work but was diverted towards Badagry Expressway where her hands, legs and mouth were tied.

The gang comprising four men, allegedly dispossessed her of her phone, N20,000 and other valuables before pushing her out of the vehicle inside a bush, to find her way.

Luck however ran out of the gang on Wednesday when the said victim saw them and raised alarm.

According to a resident, Alhaji Kolade Awofeso, one of the suspects fled but the mob was able to apprehend three.

“The remaining three were taken to Bariga Police Station including the elderly man (driver). Surprisingly at the Bariga Police Station, the suspects were familiar with the policemen.

“They surprisingly asked the elderly man about the stolen items collected from the victim. He responded that he has handed them over to one Mama who turned out to be the owner of the vehicle used for the unbridled kidnapping and robbing,” said Awofeso.

Meanwhile, armed robbers last weekend attacked a photojournalist with Security Express Magazine Oluwasegun Falola at his 17, Bajulaye Street Shomolu residence.

According to the victim, the robbers attacked his residence around 3am on Saturday, while he was asleep and hit his head with a cutlass after he told them he did not have money.

The robbers, he said demanded his Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card, laptop, three telephones, video camera, computer hard drive and other valuables before exiting his apartment.

Falola said they also locked him inside his apartment so he would not be able to come out or raise alarm, adding that he had to break his window to seek help from nearby De-Bajo Hospital since he was bleeding.

But the victim’s plight was worsened after he realised that the robbers had withdrawn the only N50,000 he had which he planned to use in offsetting his medical bills.

He said he was still at a loss as to how the robbers were able to access his account without his pin, adding that he had reported the case at the Alade Police Station in Shomolu.

Police spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) confirmed that two of the kidnap suspects were in custody and investigation was ongoing.

source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/04/residents-nab-kidnap-syndicate.html