Seven men held for the alleged murder of a businessman and abduction of an Assistant Comptroller of Customs at Onne area of Rivers State, have revealed the various roles they played in the drama.
The suspects have been identified as Godspower Keenom, Zigabari Voonu, Oludofin Yakubu, Justice Afangide, Dale Keliaga, Maxwell Barindom and Tordi Barinaa.
The Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Justina Tanko, was abducted at an eatery, while the businessman, Chukwubuikem Ezenkwu, was abducted when he stepped out of his office after receiving a phone call.
The suspects were arrested after operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, received instruction from the IG, Ibrahim Idris, to ensure the rescue of both victims.
This instruction came right after the gang abducted Tanko.
Police said the gang collected a ransom of N5 million before releasing Tanko.
Ezenkwu was kidnapped in May 2018 and a ransom of N2.7 million was paid for his release.
The kidnappers took the money, but didn’t release him.
He was held in captivity for a month.
A police source disclosed: “Ezenkwu’s corpse was dumped in Onne River. The kidnappers went on to abduct Tanko when one of the gang members, who works as a security guard at an eatery she patronizes at Onne, informed his gang members that she is a rich woman. Tanko was abducted and beaten. She was kept in captivity for five days before ransom was paid. The man, who masterminded her kidnapping was security guard that she used to tip. She was even shocked when we informed her that he was behind her abduction.”
Keenom, 23, a professional hunter, said SK was the person that organized the kidnapping of Ezenkwu and also leader of the gang.
He revealed that it was SK that brought Ezenkwu’s phone number.
Keenom recounted: “ SK said that the guy was a businessman, that he would fetch good money if abducted. SK was the person that called Ezenkwu. When he came to meet us at Onne IITA Road, we kidnapped him. We kept him in a bush, where he spent a month with us. We tied his legs and hands with a rope. I was the person that used to feed him with soup and Eba every day. When he fell sick, I treated him and bought drugs for him. We collected N2.7m from his brother as ransom. I was the person that collected the money at Onne Truck Park. But on my return to the camp, I learnt that the man was dead.
“SK, who is our gang leader, suggested that we should dispose the guy’s corpse inside the Onne River. We shared the money and I got N500,000.”
The guard, Voonu, 32, works at an eatery, where Tanko used to come and eat.
Voonu narrated: “ There’s a guy known as Bobo. He used to come to the eatery. He was the person that said he wanted to kidnap my boss, I said no. Then he saw the customs woman and he said he would kidnap the woman. Yes, the Customs woman had been nice to me in giving me tips. She used to buy me food and drinks. I don’t know the people that brought the job. Bobo kidnapped the woman in front of our eatery. He called me five days later to say that the woman had paid ransom. He didn’t tell what my share was.”
Another member of the gang, Yakubu, introduced himself as the gang’s driver.
He said: “I was part of those that robbed Nairabet. I was given N20,000 as my share. On the second robbery, I thought we were going to rob another Nairabet shop, but before I knew what was happening, the gang brought in a woman. They had just abducted her. Bobo took the woman on a motorcycle to the camp. He called and told me that he has collected some money.”