7 Ghana Based Nigerian Kidnappers Killed In Lagos
Seven Ghana based Nigerian kidnappers have been killed in
Lagos by the police.
The syndicate were suspected to have also kidnapped the
Chairman, Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Kehinde
Bamigbetan.
According to the police, the suspects were arrested shortly
after kidnapping an Indian, Vivex Changrani, in the early
hours of Monday.
The Commissioner of Police for the command, Umar Manko,
said the suspects were not based in Lagos but only operated in
the state on weekends after which they would flee to Ghana.
He said apart from Bamigbetan, the suspects had been
involved in a series of high-profile kidnapping including that
of a Federal High Court judge in Lagos.
He said, “Based on painstaking investigation and tracking of
Nigerian kidnappers who kidnapped Ejigbo LCDA Chairman,
Kehinde Bamigbetan, a sitting Federal High Court Judge and
other notable individuals in Lagos, a team of detectives, led
by the Officer in Charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad,
traced the kidnappers to the Agbara area of Ogun State where
the kidnappers have their camp.
“After 72 hours of laying ambush, the policemen stormed the
house where the kidnappers were gathered. A gun duel ensued
and seven kidnappers were killed. Two of the kdinappers,
Ogbonna Emenike and Uchenna Nwanyu, were arrested alive
with bullet wounds while four AK47 rifles, 28 AK47
magazines and over 1,000 rounds of AK47 live ammunition
were recovered.
“A Honda CRV and a Nissan Pathfinder as well as charms
were recovered from them. An Indian national, Vivex
Changrani, who was kidnapped at Ikoyi two hours before the
operation, was also rescued by the police.”
Manko said the suspects were able to evade arrest for so long
because they were in Ghana and due to international law,
Nigeria policemen had to collaborate with INTERPOL to
track the suspects.
The police boss said the suspects operated in army uniforms
which deceived members of the public.
“We discovered that because the suspects operated in army
uniform, they easily got away. Sometimes, they could even
alight from their vehicles in broad daylight and direct traffic
in order to escape,” he said.
According to police detectives, who spoke to our
correspondent on the condition of anonymity, the suspects
lived flamboyant lifestyles in Ghana.
A police source, said the leader of the gang, Jonah Benjamin
Osinachi aka China, who was killed during a gun duel with
the police, owned a big restaurant in Ghana and other
investments which he funded with proceeds from his
illegitimate business.
He said, “The suspects only struck during weekends after
which they would go back to Ghana. For instance, after
kidnapping Bamigbetan, they received $50,000 (N8m) as
ransom. They went back to Ghana without any money.
“Rather, what they did was to give the money to a bureau de
change operator who then helped them to transfer the money
through an agent to Ghana.”
The suspects however said they were not members of the gang
but only friends to the killed suspects.
Nwanyu said, “I am not a kidnapper, China employed me to
manage his restaurant in Ghana and I have been doing that for
two years now. I came with China, his wife and two kids on
Sunday because they said they wanted to renew their
passports at FESTAC.”
Another suspect, Emenike, said he was not part of the gang.
He said he was only released from prison last Monday and
was only at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Indian victim, Changrani, however identified the suspects
as his captors. He commended the police for rescuing him less
than five hours after his abduction.
He said, “I have been living in Nigeria for seven years and I
work for a plastic-manufacturing company. On Sunday night,
around 12am, I was on Gerard Road, Ikoyi, when men in
army uniform flagged down my vehicle. They jumped into
my car and pushed me into the back seat.
“An hour later, they pushed me into their own vehicle,
blindfolded me. After some hours, they took me into their
house and locked me in a room and told me to sleep. Around
5am, I started hearing gunshots and when the police identified
themselves, I screamed for help and they rescued me. The
police did a fantastic job.”

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