How ex-police man’s son allegedly kidnapped Dangote’s cousin

They were very youthful and innocent looking when Saturday Independent had an interview with them at the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command, but investigations and their confessions revealed that they are deadly and without mercy when they operate.

Incidentally, one of them and the gang leader, Livinus Ubakah, happens to be a son of a former Inspector of Police who was dismissed by the police authorities for anti-force activities. But, the son took to a more illegal means of earning a living.
Speaking on the alleged kidnappers, Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Ngozi Braide, who narrated the activities of the notorious gang in the state, revealed that the SARS led by Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police (SP), after a careful search for the criminals, arrested the trio of Kelechukwu Onyema, 27; Livinus Ubaka, the 25 year-old-son of the dismissed cop and Ayebe Segun, 32.

They were arrested at Ajao Estate area of the state.

The suspects, according to Braid, kidnapped one Yahaya Aminu, a staff of Dangote Group, Head Office, Falomo Ikoyi, at Guarante Trust Bank (GTB), Awolowo Road, lkoyi, on September 2, 2012.

The victim is said to be a cousin to the business mogul, Aliko Dangote.

Braide said the victim was rescued alive while two locally made pistols with 16 cartridges and one Kia Cerato Saloon Car with Reg. No. DN 735 APP belonging to the victim were recovered from the kidnappers by the SARS team.

“It is noteworthy to state that on February 17, 2012, about 2230hrs at Oniru Estate, Lagos, the same Pius Ubaka with others at large were responsible for the kidnapping of Debasis Mitraroy, another employee   of Dangote Group of Companies.

“The suspect was eventually arrested and charged to Magistrate Court 17, PWD, Ikeja, presided over by Magistrate A.O. Akinde for conspiracy and kidnapping through charge No. MIK/R/42/2012 on April 5,2002, but was strangely released in June 2012 by the court from where he immediately went back to his kidnapping business,” Braide said.

She added that in March 2011, Ubaka led a gang of four kidnappers who kidnapped one Indian man at Victoria Island and collected N32million.

As a result, his gang member, William Bassey, was arrested and subsequently charged to court.

Following the kidnap, investigation revealed that Bassey was arrested, but Ubakah and two others escaped.

Police went on their trail until February this year when the state undercover police arrested Ubakah, after they kidnapped Dangote staff member.

This led to his being charged to court in the first instance, but released on bail by the court while the matter was still pending.

Before the arrest this time, the kidnappers held their captive in a Hotel at Ajoa Estate and demanded a ransom of $150,000.

It was in the process of trying to collect the ransom at Ajah that SARS team arrested one of the suspects.

The arrested suspect took the SARS team to Ajao Estate, where the other two were also arrested and the victim released.

It was gathered that the SARS team had to fight tooth and nail by climbing the ceiling and Corporal Abdulraham Mohammed who went to the operation with Kyari had to chase the kidnappers and firing until the ammunition in his pistol was exhausted, thus prompting him to throw from the top of the roof his empty pistol to his boss who was on the ground, while his boss, Kyari, in return threw his pistol loaded with ammunition to him for him to continue firing until the suspects were arrested.

After the arrest, we learnt the SARS team invited Ubakah’s father, but he did not respond during the police investigation.

He denied ever seeing his son since he was charged to court, but his son confessed that he slept in his father’s house a day before his arrest.

Confessing about his criminal act, Ubakah a native of Isiala Ngwa in Abia State told Saturday Independent that he learned Laptop Engineering with an office at 11, Oba Elegusi International Market, Jakande, Ajah.

His words: “My father is a dismissed Police Inspector. He served at force headquarters at Obalende then. He has four children. My friend, Bassey William, introduced me to kidnapping while I was teaching him how to repair Laptop. He told me they wanted to Kidnap Indian boy to be kept in my house for ransom. I agreed, that was how we started kidnapping. The Indian was kidnapped at Picolomondo Bar/Club in Victoria Island. I was the one who drove that night. We used my Parthfinder Jeep. I have a jeep, and I was using a Golf car before the jeep. I also have an Infinity Jeep and two plots of land in Ajah.

“The Indian spent a week in my house at Lakwe before a ransom of $200,000 was paid. We tied his eyes and I was the one staying with him permanently at home so that neighbours will not suspect if they start seeing strange people. After the ransom, we paid a cab to drop him at Victoria Island. I got $40,000 as my share. I bought two plots of land and went to Abuja to obtain a visa to travel to Holland, but I was duped N800, 000. I was angry for that. I was not always going to my father then because we were not in good terns but I travelled to Ghana when the police was looking for me and spent some time before coming back. We kidnapped a Dangote staff; it was in the process of trying to collect ransom that we were arrested. We were three. We kept the man for over one week, and he was feeding only on fruits. He said he did not need food but apple and watermelon.

“I was once charged to court for kidnapping at the PWD Magistrate Court. I was released on bail; my lawyer is Barr. Evans Duru. I was granted bail on June 27. After the bail, I went back to my father’s house. I became broke and went back to my gang leader and we started another kidnapping.”