Kidnapper arrested as he goes to collect N3m ransom

Photo source: Wikipedia

Three suspected kidnappers identified as Austin Agba, 35, Friday Sunday Paul, 23, and Christian Ekenu, 27, were arrested yesterday by the Police force in Akwa Ibom state as the leader of the gang Austin Agba, went to pick up the N3 million ransom from the family of one of their kidnapped victims at Olympus hotel, along Afaha Uqua Road, Eket Local Government Area.

The gang leader, Austin Agba has denied being a kidnapper stating instead, that he is a middleman between the pirates and the various fishermen groups operating along Ibeno-Opobo water way. He claims he was just on his way to collect the N3 million at the said hotel in Eket, that he had negotiated for the pirates from the fishermen before the police apprehended him.

Mr Friday Sunday, whose suspected duty in the gang is to convey the kidnapped victims on his motorbike, stated contrarily, that he was a victim of kidnap by the other two gang members.

Mr Ekenu also gave a contradictory statement, saying he's an artist, who came to visit his friend Tony, when asked by said friend , how much money he had, and he said he had no money, and because of this, Tony and his friends robbed him of his shoes, watch and phones. He states that he was able to escape from the people, when they went outside, and he was just on his way to the police station to make a report, when he was apprehended by the police along the way, and taken to the police station, because he was suspected of kidnapping.

Delia Nwawe, Akwa Ibom Police PRO, said the men were members of the same gang and were arrested following the confessional statement of each suspect.

Source

Vanguard