Craze for money has reportedly pushed three siblings into kidnapping in the house of God.
Their case is contrary to the saying that two siblings are not likely to encounter trials at the same time because they aren’t two but three.
The siblings, in police custody, are Joy Ramond, 19, Peace Ramond, 24, and Ayomide Ramond, 16.
Also in police custody is a suspected accomplice, Akinseye Oluwayomi,18.
READ ALSO: Police arrest prophet over alleged kidnap
Sunday Vanguard gathered that the parents of the victim had no premonition of what was ahead when they left for their midweek meeting at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, Oba-Ile, Akure, Ondo State capital that ill fated day.
All the suspects are members of Jehovah’s Witness and attend same Kingdom Hall before the ‘devil’ ministered to them to abduct the daughter of fellow members, Jamama Oladapo, aged six.
A police source informed that the four suspects were arrested in an uncompleted building where ransom was dropped for them by the parents of the victim.
The source said the suspects were arrested by the police anti-kidnapping outfit.
“One Afolabi Oladapo, of Sunshine Garden, Oba-Ile, Akure, reported the matter on Nov. 21 this year”, he said.
“Oladapo reported that his daughter, Jamama, aged six, was kidnapped during church service by unknown people.
“Jamama was released on Nov. 22, after the payment of N720, 000 by the father of the victim.
“Shortly after the payment of the ransom, a police team stormed the area where the ransom was paid and rounded up the four suspects while exhuming the money that had been buried in an uncompleted building.”
In an interview, one of the suspects, Joy, confirmed that the victim was a daughter of a member of their Church but claimed that they took her home “to warn and scare her, and not to kidnap her”.
She went on, “I had always seen the girl running out of the Kingdom Hall whenever we were having our meeting. That day, I was coming from my working place and saw her outside the hall around 7 p.m.
“I asked her where she was going and warned her to be careful so as not to be kidnapped.
“I later decided to take her home from where I called the parents to inform them that the girl was with me.
“That particular night, I could not reach the parents on phone but I got them the next morning and the mother came to pick the girl.
“I decided to scare her because I learned that she is the only girl in the family and was being pampered by the parents. I kept her to scare her so as to discourage her from straying around”.
The suspect, however, said she did not know anything about the money paid as ransom.
“It may be another person that called them and fabricated the kidnap story so as to dupe them”.
Exhumed ransom
Meanwhile, the spokesman for Ondo State Police Command, Femi Joseph, displayed the exhumed ransom paid to the suspects.
Joseph noted that it would be presented as exhibit in court.
“The suspects have confessed to the crime and would be arraigned after thorough investigation”, he said.
Joseph also said some other suspected kidnappers arrested in some parts of the state confessed
to be responsible for some of the kidnap cases that have happened in the state.
“On the 13th day of August, 2018, at about 1530hrs, one Mrs. Owoyemi Doris ‘f’ of Ogunmolasuyi Avenue Oba-Ile Akure, Ondo State, with her friend, Agbegoke Cecilia ‘f’, and one Mr. Kunle ‘m’, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen along Iju/Ikere – Ekiti Road, Iju, Ondo State and taken to an unknown destination. The hostages regained their freedom on the 16th of August, 2018 after their families had paid some ransom”, the spokesperson said.
“On the 22nd of November, 2018, a highly coordinated intelligence networking led to the arrest of one Yafara Adamu ‘m’ along Irese Road Akure. Identification parade was conducted and some hostages identified the suspect among other suspects paraded.
“Secondly, on the 13th of October, 2018, at about 1600hrs, one Engr. Ojo Peter ‘m’ of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo, Ondo State, was kidnapped at Emure-Ile/Okepuru Road, Ondo State by unknown gunmen.
“The hostage regained his freedom on the 18th of October, 2018 after the payment of ransom. On the 6th of November, 2018, at about 1730hrs, the family of some hostages received a strange call via a hidden number demanding two million, five hundred thousand Naira (#2, 500, 000.00k).
“On receiving this complaint, detectives swung into action and, with the aid of intelligence gathering, one Sunday Kehinde ‘m’ was arrested in Emure-Ile, Ondo State.
“Upon interrogation, he confessed to the commission of the crime and mentioned other members of his gang.
“Efforts are ongoing with a view to arresting fleeing members of the gang. Suspects will be arraigned in court at the conclusion of investigation”.
