Edo State Police Command, has arrested two employees of a cement company located at Okpilla, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo state, for allegedly planning to kidnap their supervisors.
According to sources, the two suspects, Obi Bright and Favour Edi, were arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Unit of the Edo State Police Command, while still plotting the abduction of Mr. Dimgba Uche and Mr. Ekwueme Chukwuka, who are senior staff of the cement company.
During investigations, it was revealed that, Obi Bright met Favour Edi for the ‘shady deal’ after which they contacted a yet to be named man, for the services of gunmen, and to connect them with ‘kidnapping experts’ in Okene, Kogi State, where they hope to take their victims.
The two suspects, Bright and Edi, no doubts based on investigations, had concluded plans to abduct Mr. Dimgba Uche and Mr. Ekwueme Chukwuka, two senior staff of the Okpilla Cement Company, before they were arrested.
Further information gathered also confirmed that, it was the generosity of the two senior staff, who were to be victims of kidnapping, that made the person standing as the middleman for Obi Bright and Favour Edi, to turn to a whistleblower, who reported the abduction plan to the soldiers guarding the company.
The soldiers on hearing this, advised the supposed whistleblower, to play along with the team, and to ensure that the masterminds do not escape. It was the soldiers that afterwards, after gathering enough evidence, contacted the police for the arrest of the alleged criminals.
Other gang members, who were to help carry out the ‘operation’ within 24 hours after which it was planned, were subsequently arrested by the soldiers, who handed them over to the Edo State Police Command.
In a confessional statement, one of the suspects, as reported by Independent Nigeria said,
“My monthly salary is very meagre, and I need money to handle some issues. I know that my boss always have money, and l wanted the people l was calling to kidnap him so that they can give me my share after the kidnapping operation.”
Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP. Bello Kontongs, who confirmed the incident, said, the matter is being investigated. He warned criminals to relocate from the State, as according to him, the Edo State Police command, is now ‘battle-ready’ to extinguish criminally minded people from the State; adding that, the two suspects will be arraigned in court, soon after the investigation in concluded.