The Police Command in Lagos on Monday said it had arrested 10 persons who allegedly kidnapped a Nigerian and a Chinese after collecting N8.5 million ransom.
The Police Commissioner in the state, Umar Manko, said this in Lagos while parading the suspects and exhibits recovered from them.
Mr Manko said two of the suspects were arrested on July 3 for alleged kidnap of Kingsley Ifeanyi and Kauang Yingjun, senior employees of ZTE Nigeria Ltd, Ikoyi, Lagos.
“After the arrest of the two suspects and their confession to the Special Ant-Robbery Squad (SARS), eight others were arrested. All the suspects confessed to have collected N8.5 million ransom.
“One of the suspects, identified as Akaniyene, an employee of ZTE, who resides at the Boys’ Quarters, where the company is located, confessed to have given information that led to the kidnap of Yingjun. He claimed he was given N700, 000 from the ransom collected. During a search at the residence of the suspects, two locally made double-barrel pistols and 18 cartridges were recovered.
“The hideout they used for keeping kidnapped victims at Epe has been identified and searched,’’ Mr Manko said.
One of the suspects identified as Taiwo, 33, claimed he was a driver responsible for hiring vehicles for ZTE Company. He said that the gang decided to kidnap the victims due to alleged maltreatment meted to Nigerians in the company.
“The way they were maltreating the black in the company was bad. They sacked an old man of about 70 years after working for about six years with them. They did not pay him any money until we protested, then, they gave him N15, 000.
“I discussed the issue with one of the suspects who told me that they have been thinking of what to do. We decided that we would kidnap the victims and beat them up.
“One of the suspects suggested that we should kidnap to get money. We agreed on the money; we collected N8.5 million and my share was N1.5 million,’’ he said.