Police foil kidnap attempt on oil magnate, Otedola

Officers of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in the Nigerian Police have foiled an attempt by a three-man gang to kidnap oil magnate, Femi Otedola.

This was revealed by Force Headquarters’ spokesman, Don Awunah, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), revealing that messers Ikechukwu Daniel, 28; Adeyemi Kayode, 29; and Ayodele Temitayo, who were arrested in June, confessed to have planned Otedola’s kidnap.

Awunah disclosed that the suspects, who confessed to being responsible for various high profile kidnappings in the Southwest, had planned to collect one billion Naira as ransom while two AK47 rifles loaded with live ammunition were recovered from them.

He added that Kayode was said to be a personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) while Ikechukwu, the prime suspect, was dismissed from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for cultism.

“The arrest was achieved through coordinated intelligence gathering and deployment of technical investigative tools that spanned several weeks,” Awunah said.

“The Principal suspect, 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 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 (NSCDC) 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 one billion naira ransom.

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

“All the suspects made confessional statements revealing that they had successfully carried out several high-profile kidnappings and two AK47 rifles loaded with live ammunition were recovered from them.

“While efforts are currently being intensified to apprehend other members of the gang and extend the investigation to their other criminal enterprise, the IGP Ibrahim Idris restates the commitment of the 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.”