The Edo State police command, yesterday paraded five suspected kidnappers in Benin City, the state capital.
The state police public relations officer, Anthony Airhuoyo, while parading the suspects, told journalists that they had made confessional statements.
According to him, Charles Onah, 26, had testified that he and his 16-year-old younger brother, Endurance, threatened to kidnap a man who bought sand from him but still owed him the sum of N3, 500.? He added that he ordered the man to send him a N5, 000 ‘recharge card’ without disclosing his identity.
Andy George-Olufemi, 32, and Godwin Otoro, 25, were also arrested in Suleja, Niger State, where they wanted to withdraw N18, 000, allegedly paid into Godwin’s bank account.
It was further disclosed that George-Olufemi confessed that he threatened a man he had worked for when he was in Benin, without disclosing his identity, ordering him to pay N18, 000 into Godwin’s account or he would be kidnapped and killed.
But Godwin told journalists that George-Olufemi was a friend to his family who asked for his account number, adding that his brother from Benin intended to send money to him. He, however, said that when he was about to withdraw the money, the police apprehended him.
Also, Nosa Onaghinor, 30, had demanded the sum of N200, 000 from his brother, Chima, under the pretence that he was about to be kidnapped and probably killed. He said it was at the point of trying to withdraw the money sent to him that he was arrested.