Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
A 23-year-old kidnapped suspect, Salie, who used his ransom proceeds to buy cow, said he regretted listening to his friends who asked him to join them in kidnapping a farmer in Edo State.
The suspect who said he was arrested inside a vehicle, said he also regretted his action as the cow he bought with the ransom money died in the custody where he hide it from his father.
The suspect who claimed he was born and raised in Okada community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State by a herder father was paraded alongside 28 persons by the state Police Command for allegedly involved in various crimes.
The suspect in an interview with journalists, said he joined others to kidnap a cocoa farmer in Ogbese village, Ovia North East Local Government last year, adding that one of them who was arrested after the incident was in prison custody.
“My friend ask me to join them to show them the road after kidnapping the victim at his farm. We collected ransom of N2.3 million. My share of the money was N300,000.00 because my role in the kidnapping was to show them the roads after the victims was kidnapped”.
“I used N150,000.00 to buy small cow, I gave N20,000.00 to my small friend to buy clothes because he is also working with us to look after cows in Okada town.
“I also use part of the money bought medicines for the small cow while I spent the remaining amount in buying shoes and shirts”
He said he hide the small cow with his friend so that my father will not see it and demanding to know where he got the money to buy it.
“But, the cow died, and I am arrested. I regret ever listening to my friends who asked me join them to kidnap the man”, he said
“I was arrested inside a vehicle during stop and search. Police search me and found N200,000 in my pocket. I only follow them to kidnap once. I regret my action now”
The State command’s spokesman in Edo State SP Chidi, said the suspect was arrested by the Anti kidnapping and Cyber Crimes Unit of the command.
He said the suspect confessed to the crime, adding that he would be charged to Court and other of his accomplice are already in prison custody
