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Lagos State Police Command recently arrested three suspected members of a kidnap gang in connection with series of abductions in Epe area of the state. A female Police Sergeant attached to Ketu Division, identified as Bola, was among the abducted at Omu-Ijebu, a border town between Lagos and Ogun states, while a lawyer and owner of a farmland in Ogbodu community in Epe were also kidnapped. Among the arrested suspects is 20 year- old Mimo Blessing. In this exclusive interview with Blessing, he narrated how he got involved with the gang. Excerpts:
What is your name, how old are you and you are from which state?
My name is Mimo Blessing, I am 20 years old and from Ondo state.
Why were you arrested?
We were arrested for kidnapping a lawyer and collecting five million naira. I wasn’t there when the man was kidnapped and the money was paid but I was given one hundred thousand naira.
From where did they kidnap the lawyer?
I learned he was kidnapped around ketu side.What is your role in the gang?Tallest asked me to be cooking for them and for the people they kidnap too.
How did you become their cook?
It was tallest that called me on phone to come and work for him in Lagos.
How did you meet Tallest, what is his real name?
I don’t know his real name. I met him at the park in Ondo state where I used to carry load for a living. He usually comes to the garage to board vehicle to Lagos. One day, I accosted him to buy food for me and he gave me five hundred naira(#500) with his phone number and I called him later to thank him, then two weeks ago, he called me that he has a job for me in Lagos, I was very happy and I relocated to Lagos without hesitation. I came to Lagos the day the lawyer was kidnapped and started cooking for us all. The lawyer was returned a day after the ransom was paid and when I was given the money, I decided to quickly go back to Ondo to pay my exam fee. I gave sixty thousand naira to one of our member whom I became close with, to keep for me. It was when I was heading out of the bush with chairman (another member) and Godwin who has escaped, that we were accosted and eventually arrested by police.
Where you trekking out of the creek?
No ma, we usually take okada and it was that okada man (pointing to the man beside him) that took us on the day we were arrested.
Who are the other members of your gang?
They are Tallest who is our boss, adam, Emmanuel, kaykay, osain, aboi a.k.a chairman and Godwin.
