The Department of State Security (DSS)
has apprehended the kidnappers of
Chief Nitabai Inengite, the uncle of
President Goodluck Jonathan, who was
abducted from Otuoke community in
Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa
State, last February.
The kidnappers, who were paraded at
the DSS headquarters in Abuja
yesterday, comprised a 400-level
student of the University of Jos, Plateau
State, Eldred Jonah, 30; Raphael
Inengesi, 32; Ibeabuchi Inya, 29; Oreva
Abridi, 29; Tammy Agbai, 29; and a
traditional doctor, Felix Onuoh, 48.
DSS also paraded another set of
kidnappers who were involved in the
abduction of two sisters – Ejura and
Unekwu Opaluwa – at Karmo, Abuja on
June 8.
The suspects are Oyemire Asagba, 29
(aka Paul/Sky); Sunday Attah, 30 (aka
Shyne); Zacheaus Salami, 30 (aka ‘D’
armourer); Victor Bassey, 32; a driver,
Sani Mohammed, 23; and Aragba
Ademo, 33 (aka IT/Topson).
Others included Ojo Gambo, 22; Haruna
Asama, 38; Dikko Iko, 22; and
Mohammed Adamu, 20 (aka Mikifi/Abu)
.
The DSS’ Deputy Director, Public
Relations, Marilyn Ogar, who paraded
the suspects, explained that Jonah
masterminded the abduction of Inengite
and provided the takeoff grant of
N40,000 for arms procurement and
other logistics.
According to her, the suspect confessed
that he carried out the surveillance on
the victim and that the gang had two
teams for the operation, comprising the
land team made up five persons and the
water (speedboat) team made up of
three persons.
Ogar stated that four pump action rifles
were used for the kidnapping, adding
that Inengite was whisked away in an
grey coloured Honda SUV to Onuegbu
waterside, from where he was
transferred into a waiting speedboat
and taken to the creeks.
She said: “The victim was held captive at
two different locations within Bayelsa
State – in the creeks of Brass, very close
to the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean and
Okigbene creeks.
“Following a security operation by this
service, he was released after 17 days in
captivity without payment of ransom.
Investigations into the incident
eventually led to the arrest of the six
suspects in Bayelsa, Delta and Edo
States.”
Ogar stated that Agbai, an unemployed
graduate of Accounting from the
University of Port Harcourt, was the
owner of the black Golf car that was
used for the abduction, adding that the
suspect had denied involvement in the
kidnapping, claiming that one of his
friends, Jonah, had asked to use the
car for a burial ceremony, which he
obliged him.
During the question and answer session
with reporters, Jonah who admitted to
providing the money and undertaking
the surveillance for the abduction,
claimed that the motivation for the
operation was not ransom.
Onuoha, the native doctor, in his
defence, explained that he provided
charms and herbal fortification for the
kidnap gang because he was afraid that
they might harm him and his family if
he had not cooperated with them.
He said: “Abridi came with three men
and said they wanted juju for business
success, which I prepared for them. They
later said that it was not what they
wanted, that they wanted to kidnap
someone and wanted charms for
protection.
“The moment they said that, their
countenance changed and I was afraid
that if I didn’t cooperate with them,
they might harm me and my family
because I was with my family at the
time, so I agreed to help them and I
asked them to pay me 19 per cent of the
ransom.”
Ogar explained that the leader of the
kidnappers of two girls in Abuja,
Asagba, had confessed to the crime,
adding that the operation was carried
out by him and four other gang
members.
She said: “Paul had been arrested
previously at a military checkpoint in
Uke, Keffi LGA, Nasarawa State in
possession of two AK-47 rifles,
magazines and 87 rounds of live
ammunition.”
According to Ogar, Asagba was arraigned
in court, convicted and sentenced to
one-and-a-half years in prison, which
he served at Keffi Prison in March 2013.
“Upon his release, he returned to his
criminal ways and confessed that he
kidnapped the two sisters at Life Camp,
Abuja, and that the gang collected N10
million as ransom before releasing the
victims. But they lied to the coopted
members, informing them that they
received only N6 million,” she stated.
Ogar added that the gang coopted Dikko,
the security guard, at the victims’
residence who provided information on
the movement of the Opaluwa family.
The DSS spokesperson said Dikko had
confided in a kinsman, Ezekiel, that his
employer, the father of the kidnapped
girls, usually kept money at home and it
was Ezekiel who promised to introduce
him to friends that could steal the
money. [Thisday]
has apprehended the kidnappers of
Chief Nitabai Inengite, the uncle of
President Goodluck Jonathan, who was
abducted from Otuoke community in
Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa
State, last February.
The kidnappers, who were paraded at
the DSS headquarters in Abuja
yesterday, comprised a 400-level
student of the University of Jos, Plateau
State, Eldred Jonah, 30; Raphael
Inengesi, 32; Ibeabuchi Inya, 29; Oreva
Abridi, 29; Tammy Agbai, 29; and a
traditional doctor, Felix Onuoh, 48.
DSS also paraded another set of
kidnappers who were involved in the
abduction of two sisters – Ejura and
Unekwu Opaluwa – at Karmo, Abuja on
June 8.
The suspects are Oyemire Asagba, 29
(aka Paul/Sky); Sunday Attah, 30 (aka
Shyne); Zacheaus Salami, 30 (aka ‘D’
armourer); Victor Bassey, 32; a driver,
Sani Mohammed, 23; and Aragba
Ademo, 33 (aka IT/Topson).
Others included Ojo Gambo, 22; Haruna
Asama, 38; Dikko Iko, 22; and
Mohammed Adamu, 20 (aka Mikifi/Abu)
.
The DSS’ Deputy Director, Public
Relations, Marilyn Ogar, who paraded
the suspects, explained that Jonah
masterminded the abduction of Inengite
and provided the takeoff grant of
N40,000 for arms procurement and
other logistics.
According to her, the suspect confessed
that he carried out the surveillance on
the victim and that the gang had two
teams for the operation, comprising the
land team made up five persons and the
water (speedboat) team made up of
three persons.
Ogar stated that four pump action rifles
were used for the kidnapping, adding
that Inengite was whisked away in an
grey coloured Honda SUV to Onuegbu
waterside, from where he was
transferred into a waiting speedboat
and taken to the creeks.
She said: “The victim was held captive at
two different locations within Bayelsa
State – in the creeks of Brass, very close
to the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean and
Okigbene creeks.
“Following a security operation by this
service, he was released after 17 days in
captivity without payment of ransom.
Investigations into the incident
eventually led to the arrest of the six
suspects in Bayelsa, Delta and Edo
States.”
Ogar stated that Agbai, an unemployed
graduate of Accounting from the
University of Port Harcourt, was the
owner of the black Golf car that was
used for the abduction, adding that the
suspect had denied involvement in the
kidnapping, claiming that one of his
friends, Jonah, had asked to use the
car for a burial ceremony, which he
obliged him.
During the question and answer session
with reporters, Jonah who admitted to
providing the money and undertaking
the surveillance for the abduction,
claimed that the motivation for the
operation was not ransom.
Onuoha, the native doctor, in his
defence, explained that he provided
charms and herbal fortification for the
kidnap gang because he was afraid that
they might harm him and his family if
he had not cooperated with them.
He said: “Abridi came with three men
and said they wanted juju for business
success, which I prepared for them. They
later said that it was not what they
wanted, that they wanted to kidnap
someone and wanted charms for
protection.
“The moment they said that, their
countenance changed and I was afraid
that if I didn’t cooperate with them,
they might harm me and my family
because I was with my family at the
time, so I agreed to help them and I
asked them to pay me 19 per cent of the
ransom.”
Ogar explained that the leader of the
kidnappers of two girls in Abuja,
Asagba, had confessed to the crime,
adding that the operation was carried
out by him and four other gang
members.
She said: “Paul had been arrested
previously at a military checkpoint in
Uke, Keffi LGA, Nasarawa State in
possession of two AK-47 rifles,
magazines and 87 rounds of live
ammunition.”
According to Ogar, Asagba was arraigned
in court, convicted and sentenced to
one-and-a-half years in prison, which
he served at Keffi Prison in March 2013.
“Upon his release, he returned to his
criminal ways and confessed that he
kidnapped the two sisters at Life Camp,
Abuja, and that the gang collected N10
million as ransom before releasing the
victims. But they lied to the coopted
members, informing them that they
received only N6 million,” she stated.
Ogar added that the gang coopted Dikko,
the security guard, at the victims’
residence who provided information on
the movement of the Opaluwa family.
The DSS spokesperson said Dikko had
confided in a kinsman, Ezekiel, that his
employer, the father of the kidnapped
girls, usually kept money at home and it
was Ezekiel who promised to introduce
him to friends that could steal the
money. [Thisday]
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