TRACKING___A 22-year-old suspected kidnapper, Gift Tasie, has revealed how his gang attacked the home of a magistrate at Rumuagholu, Rivers State, abducted his daughter and then demanded N10 million ransom.
Tasie, who is presently in custody of the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), said he took to crime because he needed to survive.
The suspect, a native of Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State, said his role on the day of the attack was to act as a lookout, while others stormed the magistrate’s apartment. The attack was launched sometimes in April.
Tasie, who described himself as an orphan, said he dropped out of school after his parents’ death.
He said: “It was because I needed to survive that made me join the gang led by Ihekazi Igwe. He initiated me into the Icelander cult group. On the day of the incident, I joined them at an agreed location at Omagwa. When I got there, Ihekazi, Ibuchi, Bright and Sampson Aaron were already on the ground with their guns. We drove to the house. I was given a machete and instructed to watch out for vigilante boys. After about an hour, they drove out with another car and inside the car was the magistrate’s daughter.
“When we got to the bush, they shared all the valuables stolen from the house. I was given N10,000 and a wrapper. I was asked to go home because I live with my sister, and if she doesn’t see me in more than 24 hours, she could raise the alarm.
“When I called them the next day, they told me that they asked the family to pay N4 million. I was waiting to be called to collect my share when Ihekazi called to say that the lady had escaped. I wanted to use my share to start a business. I am sorry, it was poverty that led me to crime.”
The attack on the magistrate’s home was carried out by five young men, including Tasie. The other suspects are still at large.
The gang robbed the victim’s house and then abducted his daughter. She later escaped from her kidnappers.
The IRT operatives, who had been investigating the matter since the invasion of the magistrate’s home, tracked Tasie to his home and arrested him. The operatives are still on the trail of other fleeing members of the gang.
