‘I needed money for wedding,’ kidnap suspect confesses

Three suspected members of a cross state kidnapping syndicate have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command over the abduction of a businesswoman in the Ijedodo area of the state.

The suspects, identified as Semi Buawe, 35; Oluwatomi Obosi, 37; and Bamure Telemowei, were traced to their hideout in Agadagba community, Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, by operatives of the command’s Anti Kidnapping Unit.

The victim, whose identity was withheld, was reportedly held captive for three days in a bush around Ijedodo before her family paid N21 million in ransom for her release. The ransom also included a bottle of schnapps, a power bank and one kilogramme of frozen turkey.

Police investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly planned the operation in Ondo State before travelling to Lagos in April 2026 to abduct their victim. They subsequently returned to Agadagba after collecting the ransom.

The alleged gang leader, identified only as ID, is still at large. Police sources said he was suspected to be involved in kidnapping operations across several states.

Buawe, a sawmill worker, admitted participating in the operation and said he had been involved in kidnapping since 2010, although he claimed he had decided to quit the crime.

According to him, ID approached him in April and asked him to participate in a kidnapping operation in Lagos. He initially declined but later agreed after ID and some of his associates repeatedly pleaded with him, citing his knowledge of Lagos, where he had previously lived.

Buawe said the gang had no specific target when they arrived in Lagos and were instructed by ID to look for a wealthy person around Ijedodo.

He said ID eventually stopped in front of a duplex and concluded that its occupant was wealthy. ID and another member, identified as Alfred, allegedly entered the premises and later emerged with the victim, while Buawe and Obosi kept watch.

According to Buawe, the victim raised an alarm as they approached the bush, prompting a passerby to attempt to intervene. He said ID fired a shot into the air, forcing the man to retreat.

Buawe said the victim was subsequently taken into the bush, where ID handled negotiations with her family. He said the woman was held for three days and ate only biscuits after initially refusing the food provided by her abductors.

He further disclosed that the gang, after exhausting their food supplies, used the victim’s phone to transfer N150,000 to a Point of Sale operator around Ijedodo and collected the money in cash.

On the third day, according to Buawe, the gang received N21 million after ID rejected an initial offer of N16 million from the victim’s family. The ransom was reportedly collected in dollars, alongside a bottle of schnapps, a power bank and one kilogramme of frozen turkey.

Buawe said he received N1.5 million from the proceeds, adding that he had not used the money for anything significant. He also disclosed that he took one of the victim’s two phones.

He said he later had a disagreement with ID after they returned to Ondo State and told the gang leader that he no longer wanted to participate in the operations. According to him, ID suspected that he intended to expose the gang.

Meanwhile, Obosi, popularly known as Tommy, said his decision to participate in the operation was motivated by his desire to raise money for marriage.

The 37 year old suspect said his mother had advised him to settle down and get married, while his grandfather encouraged him to return to their hometown in Agadagba to find a suitable woman and raise money for the marriage.

Obosi said he eventually found a woman and proposed, but she told him he needed to obtain the consent of her elder sister. It was during the process, he said, that he was introduced to ID, who was married to his girlfriend’s sister.

According to him, ID learnt that he lived in Lagos and invited him to participate in the operation, saying he could help translate Yoruba to other members of the gang when they abducted Yoruba speaking victims.

Obosi said he accepted because he needed money to marry, adding that he received N2.5 million from the operation. He said ID later collected N200,000 from each member of the gang after they returned to Agadagba.

Confirming the arrests, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the command had intensified efforts to arrest the fleeing gang leader.

Adebisi said the suspects were in police custody and would be charged to court after the completion of investigations.

The police spokesman urged members of the public with useful information about the fleeing suspect, identified as ID, to report to the nearest police station.

She assured residents that the command would continue to intensify efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.