Three men have been arrested in the Ogun State town of Ijebu Ode for attempting to kidnap their former employer.
Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state’s police public relations officer, identified the suspects as Peter Nse, Chukwuma Nwobodo, and Michael Umanah in a statement released on Tuesday.
He claimed they were apprehended in response to a complaint lodged at the Igbeba divisional headquarters by one Ifenuga Olayinka, who claimed he received a text message on his phone from someone describing himself as a “Killer Vagabond of Africa.”
“In the said message, the author directed the complainant to pay the sum of N5 million into a bank account he sent to him or risk being kidnapped within the shortest possible time,” the statement read.
Following the report, the Divisional Police Officer of Igbeba division, Musiliu Doga, dispatched his detectives to unravel those behind the message.
On how the suspects were nabbed, a police spokesman said detectives embarked on a technical and intelligence-based investigation which led them to Anambra State where two of the suspects – Peter Nse and Chukwuma Nwobodo – were arrested.
Their arrest led the detectives to Ago Iwoye where the third suspect Michael Umanah was apprehended.
“It was when they were brought before the complainant that he identified them as his former employees whom he laid off not quite long ago for certain misconduct.
“On interrogation, they all confessed to the commission of the crime and claimed to have made the attempt just because they were not happy as the complainant terminated their appointment,” the police spokesman added.
On his part, the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has directed that the suspects be transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation.