Two employees of a Lagos based firm, Taiwo Aduloju and Ufot Akanyene have confessed to arranging the kidnap of their boss, Mr. Kuang Vingjun, a Chinese over poor wages. Until their arrest, the duo worked at ZTE Nigeria Limited, Osborne Estate, Ikoyi and they connived with eight others to kidnap the foreign national and management staff of the company.
The kidnap kingpins collected a ransom of N8.5million from Kuang's relatives before releasing him. All the suspects were on Monday paraded by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko.
The police boss gave the names of the other suspects as: Jimoh Olalere , Rotimi Shegede , Michael Sunday , Adeyinka Jagbjagbo , Kabiru Jagbojagbo, Adeshina Mutiu and Ope Dada.
Speaking with journalists, shortly before parading the suspects, Mr. Manko frowned at the payment of ransom to kidnappers, saying such acts always encouraged them. The police boss said that Aduloju and Jimoh were arrested at Elemoro in connection with the kidnap of one Kingsley Ifeanyi , whose relatives also paid N500, 000 ransom.
Investigations by the Special Anti Robbery Squad of the state command, led by Abba Kyari revealed that the gang had, in the past, been operating on the Epe Expressway. Manko said, "Ufot, a staff of ZTE, who also resides in the boys' quarters at 20 Udi Street, Osborne, confessed to have given information leading to the kidnap of his boss.
A search on the residence of the gang's armourer, Michael Sunday, led to the recovery of two locally-made pistols and 18 live cartridges." Speaking with Community Mirror, the gang leader, Taiwo said they decided to kidnap Mr. Vingjun because the company's remuneration to the staff is very poor.
He said: "One day, I approached Ufot and we discussed our monthly pay which was too small. He said there is nothing we can do about it. Later, we decided to arrange for the kidnap of Vingjun and it was successful. We have never done it before. We got N8.5million and my share was N600, 000."
Ufot who corroborated Taiwo revealed that he was lured into the act by Taiwo, saying he believed he was hypnotized. He said; "I did not know how I got myself into it. Initially, when Taiwo told me of the plan, I refused, but he kept pestering me.
He said the Chinese are using and paying us peanuts. I later agreed to be part of the kidnap gang and I got N700, 000. I gave N200, 000 to my dad, paid N250, 000 for my mother's accommodation and another N50, 000 for her medical bill. The rest, I spent on myself."
