A suspect who has been singing like a bird in police custody has revealed that the easiest way to become a millionaire was through kidnapping.
According to him, he made N10 million after he became a kidnapper.
Anthony Egidi, 33, who claimed he joined kidnapping in Port Harcourt, Rivers State out of frustration, said he and his gang used to operate in Lagos, Edo and Delta States.
Egidi said: “I bought cars, four plots of land in Benin City and another plot in Lagos.
“I also opened supermarket for my wife.
“My wife believes I’m a welder.
“She only got to know I’m a kidnapper after police arrested me.”
The police said that Egidi and his gang members were five.
Some of the kidnappers were killed during gun duel with the police.
Others on the run are already being hunted by the police.
Investigators said that the suspects operated with two AK47 rifles and three locally made guns.
Police have recovered them.
Egidi was tracked and arrested on October 26, 2014 in Ekiwa, Benin City by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Police Command.
They were led by SP Abba Kyari.
The suspect, who is married with two kids, said that his first operation with the gang happened at Delta State in 2011.
They kidnapped a woman.
His share from the operation was N280,000.
He said: “During the first and second operations, the gang refused to disclose the venue to me.
“They blindfolded my eyes because I was new in the gang.
“After the second operation, we moved down to Benin City to kidnap a man.
“I got N100,000.
“After receiving the money, I believed it is a cool business.
“The third operation made me a millionaire.
I was given N2.8 million.
The role I played was to drive the gang.
“I didn’t know where they kept the victim.
“It was a woman.
“We collected N9 million during the fourth operation.
“We kidnapped a man in Benin City.
“I was also given N1.5 million.
“We moved down to Delta State, between Oroku and Abeh Road.
“We kidnapped a man. I got N3.5m.”
Egidi explained that after making millions in the South East, he and his members decided to penetrate the South West.
“Our sixth operation was at Eleko Junction, Ajah on June 2014. We collected N1.6 million ransom from the person. I was given N300,000,” said Egidi.
He further recollected that the seventh operation was when the gang kidnapped a female worker of Key Stone Bank on her way home.
Egidi noted: “We were seven in number that went on that operation.
“Steve blocked her car from the back, while Tony with another guy came down to attack her.
“We abandoned her car.
“We didn’t need it.
“We only needed her.
“We took her to bush.
“She spent six days in the bush with us.
“We didn’t rape her.
“We gave her everything she requested for.
“We bought food for her from Mr. Biggs.”
Egidi said that they ordered the victim’s family to pay N6 million.
During the process, one of the kidnappers was arrested when he went to collect the ransom.
He didn’t know policemen were in hiding.
When police got to the kidnappers’ den, there was exchange of gun fire.
Two of the kidnappers were gunned down, while others fled.
Egidi was arrested.