Isheri Abduction: Kidnap Mastermind Arrested

 
By Chiemelie Ezeobi
Barely 24 hours after the Isheri North Estate Association Secretary, Dayo Adekoya, was released by his abductors after paying ransom, the mastermind behind the kidnap, one Joseph Omoni has been arrested.
The suspect was arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by Abba Kyari, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, with the support of technical intelligence unit of the force.
The 38-year-old suspect, who hails from Ajapa, Ese in Ondo State, was arrested at Century Village in Ogijo Town, Ogun state.
In his confession, the suspect admitted his participation in the kidnap of the Nigerian Turkish school girls and members of staff.
He also admitted that he participated in the December kidnap operation at Ikorodu, where a popular TV presenter, Aisha Ali-Balogun was shot dead and her daughter and friend kidnapped.
The suspect also said he only got N250,000 from ransom paid for the release of the Isheri North estate secretary.
He said, “I got N250,000 from the ransom of the Isheri North estate secretary kidnap because the sum paid was too small, but for the Nigerian Turkish International College, I got N2 million.
” I was also involved in the kidnap at Ikorodu road where Aisha Balogun, a popular TV presenter was killed. We didn’t know her until we read in the papers that she was a TV presenter. I got about N1m from the ransom.
“I cannot say what really happened during the Isheri North kidnap, but we exchanged fire while escaping and later we read in the papers that three security men were killed.
“Well, I cannot say that I regret everything because I was able to build houses with the money I got from the Nigerian Turkish school. I bought tiles, windows and other accessories to compete my house at Century village, in Ogijo community.”
A senior police officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “After an unrelenting follow up by IRT with technical intelligence unit, one of the Isheri Estate secretary and Turkish school kids kidnappers, Joseph Omoni, was arrested.
“Already, one of the kidnap kingpins simply identified as ‘chairman’ has also been identified to be hiding in the same century village Ogijo, but he would soon be arrested as detectives have cordoned off the area.
He said the police were making effort to apprehend other members of the gang.
Meanwhile, the gang who abducted five farm workers from Esia Farms and two O’dua People’s Congress (OPC), who were seconded to the farm for internal security, have made contact.
For the victims who they kidnapped on Tuesday afternoon, the kidnappers were said to have demanded for N10 million ransom for each of the victims.