"My Boyfriend, Who Wanted To Travel Abroad And Wanted To Pay My Bride Price" Pressured Me Into Kidnapping - Says Former Nurse Turned Kidnapper

The four suspected kidnappers of a four-year-old-boy, Steve Kanu, in Abeokuta have confessed that a ransom of N1m was paid to them before he was rescued. Steve was kidnapped at his parents’ home at Laderin Estate, Abeokuta, on Monday, November 2, 2015.

He was, however, rescued alive last Friday by the men of the Ogun State Police Command, who swooped on the kidnappers at Nsukka, Enugu State, and rescued the boy alive. Dr. and Mrs. Mucipay Kanu, beamed with smile when they appeared with their son at the state police command headquarters, Eleweran, on Monday. The suspects arrested for the crime were also paraded by the Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali. The suspects are Kenechukwu Amoke (21), Anayo Amoke (35), Oluchi Asadu (20) and Maureen Uchenna (25).

Maureen, who was a staff nurse in Dr. Mucipay Kanu’s hospital in Abeokuta for over three years before she resigned in July this year, was said to have planned the abduction of Steve with her boyfriend, Obinna Amoke, who is currently on the run. The nurse said she regretted being part of the kidnapping. She said, “I learnt that Doctor paid N1m ransom to one of our members in Abeokuta before the police detectives arrested us in Enugu. “I regretted my action, but it was my boyfriend, who wanted to travel abroad and wanted to pay my bride price, that put pressure on me to commit this crime". The commissioner, while parading the suspected kidnappers, said the manhunt for Obinna was on, adding that he would be arrested. “The boy was kept for eight days in Anayo Amoke’s residence in Isale Ibefun in Abeokuta, before he was moved to Nsukka, where they kept him in Oluchi Asadu’s house,” the CP said. He said he would liaise with the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to ensure that Obinna’s house in the village was demolished. Also paraded were eight members of a cult group, Reckless Confraternity, who were arrested on Wednesday, November 17, for robbery at Ogba, Ago-Ijoko, in the Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects are Segun Ogundipe, Olamikan Makinde, Adenekan Sunkanmi, Afeez Oladipupo, Azeez Ologundade, Taiwo Ade, Tijani Yusuf and Oluwaseun Osiloye. The leader, Ogundipe, confessed that his group had robbed some residents in the area of their handsets and other valuables.

Also paraded were four robbery suspects who allegedly specialised in snatching cars around Itele, in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area and the Egbeda area of Lagos State. They are Jimoh Adeyemi, Akinbami Kabiru, Odunlami Dauda and Taiwo Opeyemi. The leader of the gang, Jimoh Adeyemi, confessed that they had about 38 cars and had sold them to car dealers in the Republic of Benin. The men of the Itele Police Division, however, recovered four cars ─ one Toyota Rav 4, Two Honda Accord and one Highlander. The commissioner of police said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded. He said security arrangements had been perfected to give HID Awolowo a befitting burial on Wednesday.

 He also assured the residents that the police command would ensure crime-free Yuletide. He said, “Guests will not be allowed to drive into Ikenne town. Different car parks have been prepared for them where they will park their vehicles. There are park-and-ride vehicles that will take them from the car parks to the event venue".

-Punch-