Vulcanizer, other employees arrested over death of Xinxin energy company’s Sixty- Five years old father

By Ifeoma Ikem

Seven suspects identified as Adetayo Adeniran, Hammed Jabiri, Jayeola Olalekan, Animashaun Mustapa, Akeem Lawal, Moruf Razaq and Yinka Jayeola, had in February this year, conspired to abduct Defa Song the father of CEO of the Xinxin energy company

They abducted him while he was stepping out of his daughter’s factory and took him to an unknown destination where he died. They contacted his daughter demanding a N50 million ransom for his release.

The daughter of the victim immediately petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, who ordered operatives of the IRT, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, to launch a manhunt for the suspects and rescue the Chinese national. Special IRT teams were deployed and a few days into their investigations, a vulcanizer working for the company, Adelekan, was arrested.

During interrogation, 34-year-old suspect told the police that he and seven other persons working for the company including a security guard, plan to kidnap Mr. Song. He said that the 65-year-old man died in their custody a few days after he was kidnapped because he fell sick and was not given proper medications.

According to him, they gave his body to some fishermen to help them to dispose of it and went ahead to demand a ransom of N50million from their boss.

“I am from Odogbolu area of Ogun State, I am married with two children,a primary school dropout. I work as vulcanizer but last year 2019, I was employed by Xinxin Energy Company in Odogbolu as a mechanic and a vulcanizer. They paid me N60,000 as monthly salary,I worked for three months before the father of my employer Mr Song came from China and sacked me because I bought a vehicle with the salary I was earned.

One day a security from the company,Mr Isreal told me his plan that we should kidnap MD father i buy the idea as avenue to revenge beacuse of the way the man sack me within three month I got the job in the company so that his daughter who owned the company will pay us a huge ransom. I called my younger brother Hamed Jabiri, who also worked in the company and informed him about the plan.

He bought the idea and invited one Moses, who he said a cultist member, who had guns. This was in October 2019, we held a meeting and perfect the plan on how we are going to kidnap the man.

On 16th February, 2020, a customer bought his Corolla car to repair, and I felt this a good opportunity execute our plan.

After repairing the car, I called my friends; Ade Tayo, Adeniran Dele, and Azeem and told the security man to help us monitor the MD father movement so immediately when we got information from the security man that Mr Song had stepped out of his house, we went after him and abducted him. We took him inside the bush close to my shop first and later to the home of one Morufu while Adetayo started talking to the man’s daughter on phone.

We demanded for N50million as ransom, but while we were still negotiating I received a call from one us where we kept him that he dead.

“Then we packed his corpse in a sack, before putting it in a drum and I drove the vehicle to the bank of river where some fishermen was and pleaded with them to help us dispose the drum with they boat. Moses was the only person who followed them to where the drum was disposed .” he said

Another suspect, Ahmen Dabiri, 29, who hail from Lagos State said when the MD father was abducted he remove the mask on his face and recognized me.

“I’m married with three children, I am an auto electrician and I work at Xinxin Energy Company. In October 2019, Olalekan called me and inform on their plan to kidnap Mr Song and that his daughter, who owned our company will pay any amount we demanded as ransom. ” so one day Mr Olalekan called me that a customer bought a vehicle to repair that I should informed others and also called that my friend Mr Moses who is a member of Aiye confraternity member. Immediately our informant the security guard called that the man is coming out, we went there swifty and abducted him , I used Aboniki balm to rub on his eyes before we took him away”.It was Moses who arranged for the accommodation where we kept the man,”.he said.

While we were waiting for the his daughter to comply with our demand, he opened the mask I had on and recognized me as one of the staff who work for his daughter.

I inform the security man who connect me that the man remove my mask and recognized me and he suggest for me that after we collect the ransom we kill the man,but unfortunately, the man died before the ransom could be paid and we disposed off the body. I was surprise when police came and arrests us.

Another suspect, Adetayo Adediron 36, a native of Oyo State, said he got involved in the crime because he was in search of money to start up a business.

“It was my friend that involve me into this trouble. I approached him,to assist me get a job at the Chinese company where he was working. One I received a called from him to come that he will like to see me ,i presume he had gotten the work only for him to tell me I should join for quick a business to kidnap a Chinese man.

I am the person that drive the vehicle on that day of the operation and I was hoping my share of the money i will it to set up the business. Also I was the person who called his daughter to demand for the ransom but I was disappointed that the people looking after the man killed him before the ransom could be paid” he said.

The police is still searching for Mr Song’s body that was dumped in the lagoon