From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan
It was authoritatively revealed in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Thursday that a member of the State House of Assembly (name withheld) paid a whooping sum of N5million as ransom to effect the release of his son from a group of kidnappers who stormed his household in Ogbomoso, four months ago.
The Commissioner of Police for Oyo State Command, Mr. Muhammed Indabawa made the disclosure to journalists while parading about 30 hoodlums who had been incriminated in different crimes including armed robbery, kidnapping and criminal receiving, among others.
According to the CP, on the 22nd of March this year at about 9.30 p.m., a gang of four armed men besieged Pay-On Hotel, Ikoyi Road, Ogbomoso and dispossed customers of their belongings while the Director of the hotel, one Tayo Oyedapo who is a son to a lawmaker in the Oyo State House of Assembly was kidnapped with his car with registration number KSF149BO, to Ilawe-Ekiti in Ekiti State.
The Commissioner of Police insisted that the lawmaker father of Tayo Oyedapo was compelled by the kidnappers to part with N5million as ransom before his son was eventually released to him on March 26.
Indabawa told newsmen that the case was transferred to the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) on June 27 explaining that the operatives instantly swung into action and embarked on diligent investigation which led to the arrest of five suspects namely Olayiwola Taiwo, Ahmed Saliu, Adebayo Kilani, Akinkunmi Akindele and Uzom Oluchi Chukwuemeka alias Miracle. On their interrogation, the CP said, all the arrested suspects confessed to the crime while efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining three suspects who are still at large.
Among the suspects paraded by the Police at the event were members of syndicate that specialize in car-snatching and some of their criminal receivers who were nabbed in Kano, with six posh vehicles snatched from various parts Oyo State. The vehicles include a Toyota Matrix Registration Number LND86BD Blue Colour; Unregistered Toyota Camry Black Colour; a Toyota Highlander Jeep Reg. No. APP781AZ Wine Colour; Honda Odyssey reg. No. APP284CO Grey colour; Unregistered Toyota Highlander White colour; and a Honda Civic reg. No. LagosFS631KJA Black colour.