A pastor was one of those arrested in connection with last Monday’s abduction of the three female students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary (BMJS) at Ikorodu, Lagos State. Pastor Akanji Oluwaseun, Emmanuel Arigidi (37) and James Henry alias Segun Alabi Olatunde, were part of the suspects presented to journalists yesterday by the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni. Arigidi was part of the dreaded bank robbers who unleashed hell on Lagos last year.
They robbed banks at Lekki, Ikorodu, Festac in Lagos and Agbara in Ogun State. They killed women, children and policemen. They also maimed and injured several others. According to Arigidi, his leader in the bank robberies was one Millions.
Millions was arrested by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase’s Special Intelligence Response Team (SIRT). The rescue of the girls was facilitated by SIRT, after it took over the case on March 4. A police source said that following Arase’s detailed instruction, the SIRT operatives, with the aid of intelligence-led policing, arrested Arigidi, a native of old Ese village in Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State. Arigidi said he was part of a 12-man-gang which abducted the girls on Monday about 8p.m.
He said that one Felix, aka Tradition, was the member charged with the responsibility of negotiating ransom with the distraught families of the victims. Arigidi added that one Lamienmu brought the kidnapping job to the gang.
After the girls were abducted, they kept them at Adamma forest, across the river in Ikorodu area. He was arrested when he came out from the forest one evening to buy foodstuff. Arigidi said: “We came through water with eight boats and 10 AK47 rifles for the kidnapping operation.
We escaped with the girls in the same boats. Yes, I’m a member of the robbers who attacked banks at Ikorodu. Clement Abanara aka Millions, earlier arrested by the police, is our leader. It was Millions who recruited me for bank robberies.” A police source said: “A father of two of the kidnappers went to the creek on Saturday in a canoe, after getting description of the gang’s location from one of the suspects arrested by the IG’s team.
The old man went and pleaded with his sons and the gang members to release the girls immediately because police had made several arrests, including the arrest of Arigidi. “He told them that he heard that Arigidi was about to lead 500 armed policemen to the creek.
This apparently made the kidnappers to assure the father on Saturday that they would release the girls unfailingly.” Pastor Oluwaseun said: “I’m just a trader at Adamo Street in Ikorodu. I sell recharge cards, phone and SIM cards. When policemen were calling me, I told them where they could find me. I told them because I hadn’t done anything wrong.
I told them to ask for Pastor when they get to my area. The next thing I knew was that they arrested me. Our church is not far from my shop.” According to Owoseni, Oluwaseun was a conspirator to the kidnappers. Owoseni said that Oluwaseun was the person who sent recharge cards to the kidnappers, which they used in calling and negotiating for ransom. Owoseni said: “Three suspects were arrested.
One is an active member in the kidnap and the other two are conspirators. We asked the girls if they were molested in anyway, they said they were not molested. Immediately, medical attention was given to the girls by police medical team. ”
The three girls, Timilehin Olosa, Tofunmi Popoolaniyan and Deborah Akinayo were kidnapped by gunmen last Monday. Owoseni said: “Yes the girls have been rescued. I handed them over to their principal and parents. In continuation of our search for the girls, I received information that they were sighted at Imota area of Ikorodu.
I went there to pick them up in my car. They were rescued around 9.44a.m.” Asked if ransom was paid, the commissioner said: “I’m not aware of payment of ransom.” Speaking with journalists, Arigidi said: “Three days ago, I was arrested by the police at Majidun area of Lagos, near the bridge.
I explained everything to them on how we arranged the operations. It was one Lamienmu, who brought the kidnapping work to me through Felix and his gang Godfrey, Akpoki, Ekpokeme and Orwell. After strategising at Majidun, we went to the school through Maya village.
We stormed the school around 8p.m. and kidnapped three girls. “When we got to where we were to hide the girls, my members and I quarrelled. We quarrelled because I told them I didn’t like the idea of kidnapping the girls. I changed my mind after the girls were kidnapped because security in Lagos is tight.
I told them that police would arrest us, but they refused to listen. “I told them that we might start the operation, but we wouldn’t end well. I didn’t want poOEmen chasing me around. Now we have been arrested! “If police didn’t arrest me, those girls wouldn’t have been rescued.
I told them where the girls were kept. Immediately, we moved to Maya village, onward Igbokuta village, where the girls were later rescued. The guns we used for the operation were the ones we used in vandalism. We have not collected any money from the parents. We were still demanding ransom before we were arrested.”
Henry, 29, was arrested because one of the phone numbers used in tracking the suspects, was registered with his picture and his name. But just like Oluwaseun, Henry denied being a member of the gang. He said: “I used to register SIM cards. Someone bought SIM card and came to register it. I forgot to take his snapshot. I needed his picture to complete the registration.
I now used my picture to complete the registration. Police came to arrest me. They said some people had been using the phone number to negotiate for ransom.” Incidentally, Henry and Oluwaseun, have shops adjacent each other.
Oluwaseun was first arrested and when police asked him if he knew any Segun Alabi Olatunde, he pointed to Henry. Henry’s face matched the picture that goes with the phone number the police had been tracking. Meanwhile, Ambode said his administration had the will and capacity to fight all forms of crime and criminality in the state.
The governor warned kidnappers that there was no hiding place for them. He said: “Our position is clear and unambiguous; Lagos State has the capacity and the will to go after every form of crime and criminality in order to safeguard lives and property in the state.”
Meanwhile, it was jubilation galore at Anglican churches and on the premises of BMJS as the schoolgirls regained their freedom. Immediately the news of the girls’ release was made public, some churches during Sunday service started appreciating God.
During a visit to the school yesterday, our correspondent also saw the parents, staff and students of BMJS express joy and congratulate one another on the safe return of the girls. The Bishop of Diocese of Badagry, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion and the supervising bishop for Anglican schools in Lagos State, Rt. Rev. Babatunde Adeyemi, who spoke with our correspondent on the phone, said the church was happy over the release of the students. He said: “We thank God for the release of the students. We are grateful to God for answering our prayers and we thank all Nigerians for their assistance and support.”
