Felix Ebama and Utubor Uchenna, two alleged kidnappers, have admitted to obtaining N10 million in ransom from their most recent operation prior to their apprehension.
On Wednesday, the suspects confessed while naming the homes in which they housed their victims. Uchenna and Ebama, who are members of a seven-man gang, acknowledged their involvement in multiple kidnapping instances in Edo Central in an interview with reporters in Benin.
According to Uchenna, their most recent victim was singled out due to the high-end vehicle he was driving. He claimed that after paying a ransom of N10 million, the victim and a woman who had been abducted were both freed.
Uchenna said, “The last operation we did fetched us N10 million ransom. We abducted a man who drove flashy cars, and he was with a lady. They were both kidnapped.”
“We are here to identify the house where we keep our victims. We have been involved in several kidnapping operations.”
The state authorities started demolishing homes connected to kidnappers on Wednesday in an effort to combat crime in the area. Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area, and Illeh, Esan West Local Government Area, were the sites of the demolition.
The operation was carried out in accordance with the anti-kidnapping law that was recently enacted by the Edo State House of Assembly and signed by Governor Monday Okpebholo, according to Akhere Paul, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security.
He said, “This house has been used for criminal activities. They keep kidnapped victims here, and dangerous weapons were recovered by the police during a raid.
“According to the new law, any house found to be used for kidnapping activities will be demolished. This will serve as a warning to others.”
Akhere advised landlords to properly profile their tenants before renting out their properties.
He added, “Go to the police station to help you verify the identity of any new tenant. You must know who they are, where they work, and what they do to avoid situations like this.”
He reassured the populace that Governor Okpebholo’s efforts to purge the state of criminals will continue, including the demolition exercise.
Additionally, SP Michael Anetor, the Special Task Force Commander, stated that the drill will deter future kidnapping attempts.
Anetor said that everyone has a role to make Edo safer and urged locals to report any suspicious activity to the police or task force members.
