I join kidnapping business after my name was removed from among the list of beneficiaries of the Nigerian government’s Niger-Delta Amnesty Programme for repentant militants.
The 34-year-old suspected kidnapper, Sampson Ebiowei, confessed that he got his AK-47 rifle from a soldier ,a serving Nigerian Army in Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-East sold the gun to me for N300,000.
The suspect who hails from Ofunama , Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, was caught by the police with the rifle and about 88 rounds of ammunition
His confessional statement,” i was captured in the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme, i recieved N65,000 as monthly allowance, but my uncle who assisted me to be among the beneficiaries told me that at every end of month i will released N20,000 from the allowance to him,i told him the money would not be enough and what he is demand is too much .
I am married man with three wives and four children, if i removed N20.000 from the allowance i am left with nothing to take care of the family.
“the next was a message removing my name from the programme. I have to contact a soldier friend who is serving in Maiduguri to get gun for me ,and he get one at rate of N300,000 .
” As soon i get the gun, i use it to fight the oil companies in my place, because they refused to give us jobs,”he said.
While briefing pressmen the commissioner of police, CP Philip Ogbadu, said that the command arrest the suspect and 26 suspected cultists; 17 armed robbers; 11 kidnap suspects and six suspected murdering between January and first week of February.
Other arrests made include five persons for assault and one person for rape.
He added that the command also recovered 119 rounds of live ammunition and eight vehicles.
According to police boss, the command will collaborate with local hunters, vigilantes, and sister agencies to bring down the rate of crime in the state