After Oboh Odianosen, a suspected kidnapper in the Edo Central Senatorial District, admitted to obtaining an N800,000 portion of a N5 million ransom, the Edo State Government destroyed his property.
Following Odianosen’s arrest and admission of involvement in the crime, the demolition was carried out on Wednesday by the state’s Task Force against Kidnapping.
Odianosen acknowledged taking part in the kidnapping of a man in Ekpoma in a statement made prior to the demolition. He and his group of five carried the victim into a forest in Uromi, where they detained him for three days until his family paid N5 million to have him released.
He stated, “My name is Odianosen Oboh. This is my house. My father started the building, but I completed it.”
“It was my friend, Epama, that I followed for the operation. We abducted a man from Ekpoma and moved him in a car that later broke down. I had to use my motorcycle to take him into the bush in Uromi, where we kept him for three days until his family paid the ransom.”
Odianosen mentioned he used his N800,000 share to settle debts but blamed his friend for exposing him.
“It was Epama who mentioned my name after he was arrested. Now, they are demolishing my father’s house because of N800,000. My family has no home, and my children are outside. Everyone should stay away from crime,” he lamented.
Speaking after the house demolition, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Affairs, Paul Akhere, cautioned that the government would not relent in its crackdown on kidnappers.
“There is no peace for the wicked. Those still engaging in kidnapping should know that the government will not stop hunting them. Your time will come, and we will come for you. We will chase the kidnappers and continue to pull down their houses,” he stated.
The Commander of the Task Force, SP Michael Anetor, revealed that Odianosen and his gang had admitted to the crime, necessitating the enforcement of the law.
The destruction marks the fourth property brought down by the task force as part of the state’s intensified efforts to combat abduction.
