Kidnappers
of three landlords at Oshorun Heritage Estate in Isheri, Lagos State, have
demanded N900 million to release them, it was learnt yesterday.
Gunmen
clad in military camouflages on Saturday morning stormed Channels Avenue,
whisking away Kennedy Ucheagwu, Dr. Omololu Bello and Mr. Esang, who were on
their routine exercise.
A
resident, said that the kidnappers contacted the family of one of the victims
to demand the ransom.
He
said the kidnappers demanded N300million on each victim. The whereabouts of
Coach Ola was still shrounded in mystery yesterday. He was said to have run
away when the kidnappers struck, but he has not been seen since then.
But
the Estate President, Oni Opeyemi and the Assistant Inspector General of Police
(AIG) Zone II, Abdulmajid Ali said they were yet to substantiate the claim,
adding that they heard it as rumour.
Inan
interview , Opeyemi who condemned the abduction, appealed to the kidnappers to
release their victims.
He
said: “We heard that they have demanded ransom but I am yet to substantiate
that claim. We have been having meetings to know the way forward. All the men
in the estate and the executives have been meeting.
“This
place is very porous and those militants stay in that creek. There are over a
thousand of them there. We don’t have pipelines here and so, our fear is that
these boys may start going from house to house kidnapping people. There is need
for increased security presence. We also want all the miscreants who have no
business in this area to be flushed out.
Our
neighbourhood is becoming dangerous and we don’t like it. We hope that security
agencies will rescue our members.”
At
the various churches in the area, special intercessions were made for the safe
return of the victims.
It
was gathered Rev. Clement Olotu of the Anglican Church of Ascension, Lanre
Faloya Street, condemned the attack and prayed for the victims and their families.
The
abduction was also announced at the Upper Neon Baptist Church, with prayers
said for the families of the victims.
A
resident, Yinka Omobuye, who trailed the path of the kidnappers into the
forest, said that he heard them arguing amongst themselves.
He
said that he trekked two kilometres into the bush and observed that bullets
riddled some of the buildings.
According
to him, a woman came out of her compound inside the bush and acknowledged that
four armed men held three hostages through that route, an indication that Coach
Ola was not among those kidnapped.
“I
walked two kilometres into the bush and got to the river. When I got to the
river, I noticed that the water was disturbed, which showed some people might
have passed. I crossed the river too and I started seeing footprints. I saw
footprints prints of trainers and boots.
At
that point, I confirmed what the woman told me that they passed there. As I
walked a little farther, I heard people arguing and almost fighting. I guess
they were the kidnappers arguing amongst themselves. At that point, I
retreated.”
Other
residents who blamed the police for the successful abduction, insisted that
over 40 policemen stormed the area on Saturday morning, but were more concerned
about issues of jurisdiction.
It was gathered that
policemen from Lagos and Ogun command engaged in heated argument and almost
fought on whose jurisdiction it was, despite being told that the criminals were
heard arguing in the forest.
It
was gathered that none of the policemen entered the forest in search of the
victims until Saturday evening, when the AIG Ali ordered the deployment of
surveillance helicopters and special forces.
“The
police were here arguing and almost fighting over whose jurisdiction it is. We
told them that those kidnappers have not gone far, that if they could enter,
they will capture them, but they did not hear. It was very shameful that all
the policemen who came here were more concerned about whose jurisdiction the
place fell under.
“We
even wanted our own security and OPC to enter but the policemen said if they
should go there with guns, that the kidnappers might kill the victims. They
discouraged the OPC
Tags
Society