COMPANY DRIVER KIDNAPS CHINESE TO AVENGE COLLEAGUE'S SACKING

A 33-year-old driver, Taiwo Aduloju, who was recently arrested for kidnapping a Chinese employee of ZTE Nigeria Ltd, has said he took the action to avenge the sacking of his colleague.

Aduloju was arrested alongside nine others-, Jimoh Olalere, Rotimi Segede, Michael Sunday, Chigozie Edeh, Adeyinka Jagbojagbo, Kabiru Jagbojagbo, Adeshina Mutiu, Ope Dada and Ufot Akan- in Ajah area of Lagos State.

Adeloju, a former driver at the company, said, “The head of the drivers, who we call Papa, was sacked unjustly by the company. He was given only N15, 000 as severance package. I decided that I would avenge this injustice meted out to Papa.”

The suspect said with the connivance of 14 others, he was able to kidnap a senior Chinese employee of the company, Mr. Kuang Yingjun. He said the plan was to get a ransom of N35m so that Papa would be given part of the money.

He said, “After I left the company in February, I met with Edeh at Obalende and we planned to kidnap a Chinese employee and demand ransom from the company. We needed an insider, so I involved Akan, who still works with the company. I put together a 13-man gang for the job.

One day, after Akan dropped off the Chinese at home, he called us and gave us the green light. Yingjun was in front of his house when we got there around 6.30pm. We grabbed him and drove off.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the kidnappers initially demanded N35m from the company but after negotiating with the family of the victim, they received N8.5m.

Adeloju said, “I gotN1.5m as my share. Unfortunately, I could not locate Papa so he did not get part of the money.”

Adeyinka, however denied complicity, saying he only helped the gang to prepare charms.

 Akan also said he did not kidnap the victim but only gave the kidnappers information because they threatened to harm him if he did not.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the kidnappers were arrested after they kidnapped a cement dealer, Kingsley Ifeanyi, in Ajah .

According to police authorities, the second operation was planned by another member of the gang, Jimoh Olalere.

They called Ifeanyi pretending to be customers and when he went to meet with them, they kidnapped him.

The Commissioner of Police for the state command, Umar Manko, said the suspects were arrested through intelligence gathering. He said kidnapping was usually successful through the connivance of domestic employees.

He therefore warned members of the public to be careful when hiring to pay ransom but have faith in the police.