Kidnappers of Turkish School Students, Staff Attribute Delay in Exchange to Police Presence
- Police arrest foodstuff supplier
Chiemelie Ezeobi and Sheriff Balogun
The kidnappers who are behind the abduction of three female students and six members of staff of Nigeria Tulip International College (NTIC), Ogun State, have attributed the delay in the ransom for exchange on the suffocating presence of the police.
The kidnappers are however merely re-echoing the thought patterns of the parents, who have also pleaded with the police to stay off since they have already paid the ransom demanded.
This is just as the police said they have arrested the suspect who supplies foodstuff to the kidnappers in the creeks.
The suspect was arrested because he was foiling the plan of police blockade in the creeks and starve the kidnappers, thus forcing them to surrender.
On the issue of the blockade, the kidnappers have told the affected parents to compel the police to move out, to give them room to do the exchange.
The kidnapper’s stance was enforced by last week Saturday’s breached agreement, without which the victims would have been home with their respective families by now.
After the parents had paid the ransom for the release of the girls, the kidnappers had agreed to release them at three different locations.
However, the agreement was that they do not involve the police when they are coming to pick up their victims.
On the set day, the police were said to have stationed themselves at the foot bridge at Agboju area of Festac, but unknown to them, they were spotted.
Upon spotting the policemen, the kidnappers were said to have withdrawn and taken the victims back to the creeks.
Owing to this development, the affected parents were said to have begged the police to stay off the case since they have already paid the ransom.
A source who spoke to THISDAY on anonymity said: “From all indication, the victims were supposed to have been released in the early morning of Saturday.
“Already, the parents managed to scrap together the ransom money. For the girl suffering from sickle cell anaemia, the parents had to cough out N3million because she has been having crisis.
“For the Turkish Mathematics teacher, Miss Deria, whom the kidnappers had demanded N200million from, they were said to have finally collected N50million, but the police’s presence bungled the transfer.’
