By Jonathan Ugbal
The Bayelsa State Command of the Nigerian Police Force on Monday paraded a native of Irruan in Boki Local Government Area of central Cross River State, John Ewa and three others for kidnapping.
Mr. Ewa, who also goes by the name of John Lyon was nabbed by operatives of Operation Puff Adder in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday with a clip of him pleading that his wife had just put to bed, going viral on social media.
The Police said Mr. Ewa, alongside his accomplices are responsible for the kidnapping of two new generation bank managers who paid a combined NGN140 million in Naira and US Dollar denominations as ransom between December 2021 and July 2022.
The first victim, Mr. Hakeem Oladele Olushola, 48, was kidnapped at his residence at Old Commissioners Quarters, Opolo, on December 8, 2021 and released four days later on December 12th after paying NGN80 million as ransom.
The second victim, Mr. Danjuma Omeje, 41, was kidnapped at his residence at Okaka, Yenagoa, on June 30, 2022, and released on July 14, 2022, after paying NGN30 million as well as the US Dollar equivalent of NGN30 million as ransom.
The Police Commissioner, Mr. Ben Okolo told newsmen that: “The gang-leader, one Emmanuel Charles Angase, has confessed that on 30th June, 2022 at, about 0600 hours, himself, John Ewa and others at large accosted Danjuma Omeje at the entrance of his house at Okaka, kidnapped him and fled in a blue Toyota Corolla car with Reg No KJA 225 AY.”
The Police boss said Mr. Ewa is known for his flamboyant lifestyle on social media. He said Ewa worked as a cleaner in a new generation bank, and has since confessed to collecting USD10,000 out of the ransom paid by Mr. Danjuma.
The Police said a Toyota Avalon car which Mr. Angase, 37, a native of Azuzuama Community, in Southern-Ijaw Local Government Area in Bayelsa State bought for his wife was also recovered. Furthermore, he disclosed that their camp was located at Sunikiri creek near Oluasiri in Nembe Local Government Area with his second-in-command, one Gbalipre Gamage, now at large.
When quizzed by journalists, Mr. Ewa denied knowledge of the operations and said he was only asked to point out the residences of the victims.
“I was misled to show them where this person is. I wasn’t involved in it. I am not in the business, I didn’t approach Danjuma, I only went there to open an account,” Ewa said, adding that he was given NGN1.5 million for Mr. Danjuma’s abduction and NGN3.5 million for that of Mr. Hakeem, his former boss.
He averred that: “I didn’t play any role in Hakeem’s kidnap; I just showed them his house. We were driving and I pointed to the house. It was my former boss’s house.”
But, Mr. Angase who said he did not know the victims, insisted that it was Mr. Ewa who approached the gang with the proposal to kidnap the victims since they sacked him from his job.
“He is lying. I didn’t give him money; it wasn’t me that gave him money. I don’t know those people from anywhere. He is the one that worked with them, I don’t know anything about them,” he said adding that: “He brought the job that they sacked him from work and they have money, so let’s kidnap them. Heaven knows I know nothing about those people.”
Leave feedback about this