By Kenneth Ehigiator & Evelyn Usman

LAGOS—Operatives at the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, have smashed a kidnap syndicate, arresting three suspected members of the gang, in Satellite Town.

The operation said to have taken the operatives six hours, led to the rescue of a 56-year-old businessman who had been in the kidnappers den for two days.

Also, a man (names withheld) was arrested at Dominician Nursery, Primary and Secondary School, Mafoluku, while attempting to kidnap a pupil of the school.

The trio of Ifeanyi Obiora, Steven Eze and Peter Emmanuel reportedly abducted one Mr. Hycinth Duru, 56, a car dealer at Berger Yard, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Monday.

Hycinth was said to have been taken to an apartment at 2 Saint Paul Close, Agboju-Amuwo in Oriade Local Council Development Area, where his hands and legs were tied.

N5m ransom

The kidnappers, according to the state’s Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Adesanya Jinadu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, thereafter, put a call through to their abductor’s distressed wife, demanding for N5 million ransom.

However, unknown to the kidnappers, the police had got wind of the incident. Explaining, Jinadu who paraded the suspects yesterday before newsmen said, “when we received the report, the woman was asked to play along with the kidnappers by ensuring she took some money to a designated point at Alakija. By the time she got there on Wednesday, a man later identified as Steven Eze came to collect the money from her and was apprehended.

“During interrogation, he confessed that other members of his gang were at 2 Saint Paul Close, Satellite. On reaching there, Ifeanyi Obiora and Peter Emmanuel were arrested.”

‘He owed me N340,000’

However , 29 year-old Obiora, who was discovered to be the mastermind of the kidnap denied abducting Mr. Duru. Rather, he explained that Duru owed him the sum of N340,000 which he said was part payment for a commercial bus, which was never handed to him.

On the day of Duru’s abduction, Ifeanyi said he tricked him to his abode where he locked the door, demanding that he refund his money before allowing him to leave.

Recovered from the suspects were seven red candles, a dane gun, a knife and a white bowl stained with liquid substance suspected to be blood.

The suspects according to Jinadu, would be charged to court.

At Mafoluku, the kidnap suspect, now being detained at Makinde Police Station, was said to have been parading the vicinity since 4p.m.

A source told Vanguard, having been accosted by the security men, pretended to be making a telephone call.

This was said to have drawn the suspicion of the security men who asked him who he was calling and seized the mobile handset from him, only to find that the handset had neither sim card nor battery.

He was then handed over to Police officers from Makinde Police Station.