…From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan…
Prominent politicians in the South-West have been linked to the kidnappers’ den recently uncovered in Ibadan. Daily Review gathered from a higly reliable source from the Oyo State Police Command that names of some prominent politicians as well as businessmen have been mentioned in the incident and that the police are working on those links.
“Many names have been mentioned particularly that of some prominent politicians but since we are still investigating, it will be premature to make any statement now…but I tell you heads are going to roll by the time we are through with investigations because this appears to be a cartel that has operated for several years,” he said.
It would be recalled that the Oyo Police command in collaboration with the state anti-crime outfit code-named ‘Operation Burst’ last week uncovered a Kidnappers’ den located at Idi Mangoro area within Soka community in Ibadan where about 15 chained people suspected to have been kidnapped were found in agonising condition inside an abandoned property in the locality.
Human bones were also found inside a well in front of the eight-room building said to belong to a construction company just as about six guns and cutlasses were similarly recovered from the scene. The adjacent building, it was gathered, also belonged to an Ibadan-based plastics manufacturing company.
In addition, many shoes, bags, clothes and other accessories were found in two containers which stood beside the house while mobile numbers 08140574774 and 07038651723 with the name ’Friba’ and 08061197191 with the name ‘Koko Aram’ were also written on the inside wall of the building. Identification cards with names such as Mr Rafiu Alamu (tanker driver) and national identity and First Bank ATM cards belonging to one Mrs Janet Motunrayo Lemo were also found at the scene.
Consequently, the police patrol team have arrested four men who claimed to be security guards of the building belonging to the plastics manufacturing company.
Our correspondent gathered that the shocking discoveries were made when some people who were looking for their missing family member, an okada rider, stumbled on the isolated building situated in an undeveloped part of Soka community, and from where they were hearing voices.
On entering the building, the people who made the discovery reportedly met the inmates who were highly malnourished with one of them looking like a skeleton groaning in pains, and in the throes of death with his mouth hanging open as flies hovered around his mouth, nose and eyes.Investigations revealed that one of the abandoned properties habouring the gory discoveries belonged to an Ibadan-based plastics manufacturing company.
Some of the inmates including one of them who claimed to have been an immigration official, were said to have run for dear lives immediately their chains were loosened, and as they breathed air of freedom.
Answering questions from inquisitive journalists, one of the inmates who gave his name as Tunji Alabi said he was a conductor when he was abducted and brought to the house explaining that he had already spent seven months.
Also speaking, one of the suspects in police net gave his name as Abideen Akanmu and submitted that he was brought to the building by one Gbadamosi to watch over the house inmates. He further disclosed that Gbadamosi used to bring people who were dirty looking.
Meanwhile, the Soka community has already turned to a Mecca of a sort since Saturday, as people troop in to catch a glimpse of the uncovered Kidnappers den.