The Edo State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a kidnap gang that abducted and murdered a businessman, after collecting ransom from his relatives.
The suspects led operatives of the command’s Intelligence Rapid Response Squad, CIRRS, to a forest in Ganaga, Kogi State, where the remains of the 34-year-old victim, Babatunde Orogu, were buried in a shallow grave.
Surprisingly, one of the suspects, Abdul Shaibu, a labourer, who worked with the deceased, was discovered to have masterminded the kidnap.
Late Orogu was kidnapped in Auchi area of the state six months ago, from where he was taken to a forest in Kogi State. Thereafter, his abductors used his phone to contact his family, demanding N1 million ransom for his release. But his family members were said to have paid N350,000.
When news of the kidnap reached the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Police Command, Abutu Yaro, he directed the CIRRS to carry out a discreet investigation into the kidnap.
Vanguard gathered that last Thursday, the squad traced the victim’s sim card to 32-year-old Shaibu, who led the detectives to Lokoja, Kogi State, where the duo of Musa Araba, 40, and Ugbede Abdul were arrested.
During interrogation, Araba and Abdul revealed that Shaibu ordered that his boss be killed so as to cover up their track.
I prayed before slitting his neck
Explaining how Orogu was killed, Araba said: “After collecting N350,000 from his family, Shaibu said we should kill him since the man had identified him. He said if we allowed him to go, we would be arrested.
“But I insisted I must pray first before carrying out the assignment. I usually pray before doing anything. After prayer, I killed him and dumped the body by the tree.”
Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered that after killing Orogu, Shaibu used his boss’ sim card to contact his relatives, demanding more ransom for his release. One of the calls was reportedly made in Abuja, where he collected N400,000. He was said to have made another demand, with an assurance to release the captive, thereafter. Negotiation for payment was ongoing when the Police swooped on him.