By Jimitota Onoyume, Port Harcourt

THIS dreaded kidnap gang in Port Harcourt led by Mitchel did not know their end was near as they abducted a 14- year -old girl called Charity, penultimate week. A 23- year- old member of the notorious gang, Mr Godwin Phina, who lived on the same street with the victim and the parents arranged the abduction.  He told Crime Alert that he asked his group to strike on the day the little girl was coming back from school.

How we struck

•The suspcts

His words, : “On April 14th, 2016, my group abducted Charity and took her to an uncompleted building at Eneka area.  She was with them for about three days while we mounted pressure on her father to pay us a ransom of N10 million.

I was not there with them because I did not want her to see me since she will recognise me. On the third day,  I got a call that she had escaped from their custody while they were sleeping. This was after the father had paid N50,000.00 for her upkeep into an account we supplied for the ransom to be paid into.”

Abduction of an uncle’s wife

Phina who pleaded for forgiveness said he also arranged for the abduction of his uncle’s wife.  “Because of my innocent looks,  nobody could ever think I will do such. I was also part of the gang that kidnapped another lady, Lizzy,  in my neighbourhood.  After I was arrested, I led the Police to the house of the leader of the gang, Mitchel,  they arrested him and recovered four AK-47 rifles from him,” he said.

We kill rival cult members only

Mitchel who was also paraded said he was a cultist, adding that the weapons belonged to his cult group. He said he had never shed any innocent blood but killed only rival cult members.  “I am an icelander. We only kill those that come to kill us. I have never shed any innocent blood. We have 4  AK-47s which we use  to fight our opponents. The 27 years old cultist said that in cult killings, we behead victims of rival cult members to make them feel the pain of losing their member,” he disclosed.

Ready to repent

He said he was also ready to repent from his old ways.  “ I know my actions have brought disgrace to my family. If  government give me another chance, I will repent.  James is the leader of the three- man gang that wore army camouflage anytime they operated.  They also  specialised in kidnaping for ransom,” he said.

The three pleaded that they will not go back to crime if they were released.