It was a gory sight recently in Benin, capital of Edo State, when an attempt by a kidnap suspect, Moses Otoro, to escape from detention through diabolical means went awry, leaving him battling for life, almost bleeding to death.
According to reports, Otoro had slashed his throat as instructed by a witchdoctor to enable him disappear. But rather than disappear, as promised by the witchdoctor, Otoro was left bleeding profusely from the self-inflicted cut on his throat.
The suspect was arrested by soldiers at Ughelli after he was named as a member of a notorious kidnapping gang by another member of the gang who had earlier been arrested.
Speaking with newsmen, Otoro said he participated in the abduction of five people last year and had received sums ranging from N50, 000 to N150, 000.
Otoro said it was the leader of his gang, whose name he gave as Anthony, that gave him the charm and told him that if he cut his throat, he would disappear.
He said: “I started kidnapping last year. We have kidnapped five persons but I don’t know them. It was Anthony that brought the connection. My own is to drive the vehicle.
“Anthony always collected money for the babalawo (witchdoctor) and the gun we used for the operations. He brought the charm and told me to cut my throat. He said I would disappear the moment my blood touched the ground. It was after I cut my throat that I remembered the babalawo that gave the charm to us.”
Otoro was one of the kidnapping suspects and cultists arrested by men of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in the last one month.
Also speaking, the witchdoctor, who gave his name as Akugbe Ugbo, aged 75, said Anthony was like a son to him. He declined comment when asked why the charm failed to work.
Ugbo said Anthony went to Port Harcourt and came back with money with which he (Anthony) bought a land and started a building.
According to him, “Anthony lived in my house for more than one year and I was feeding him. He left and came back with money. He said I should pray for him. I even bought the land he wanted to build his house on.”
Another member of the gang, Jacob Umoru, said he was paid N600, 000 from a ransom of N6 million paid to the gang by a female victim.
Other members of the kidnapping gang paraded were Ogue Micheal, Osas Omoh, Osato Ogiraka and Ahomafan Lucky. They had abducted their female victim at Ugbioyoko, but luck ran out on them when vigilant neighbours raised the alarm and called soldiers on patrol.
Narrating her ordeal, the victim, Mrs. Bridget Ize-Iyamu, expressed shock and disappointment over the revelation that her neighbour arranged her kidnapping.
Mrs. Bridget said the kidnappers came in the afternoon and jumped into her car. She said she pleaded with them but they would not listen.
“I was crying and begging them to allow me go and get my children from school. It was while we were going that some youths blocked the road. One of them told the one with the gun to shoot. But when they saw soldiers, they opened the door and ran away. That was how I came out and ran to the soldiers.”
Two students of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma identified as Eseni Christian and Osazuwa Evbimarumwen, were also arrested for attempted murder.
Osazuwa said they were on a revenge mission to kill a member of a rival cult group when their shot missed their target and hit a commercial cyclist.
He said their target killed a member of their cult called Livinus.
Also arrested were six students of the College of Education, Ekiadolor for wearing military uniforms within the campus.
The students said they were members of Man O’ War, and that they wore the military uniforms for their handing over ceremony.
A notorious female drug dealer, Mabel Nze, who was arrested by soldiers in August this year and handed over to the NDLEA, was arrested again with substance suspected to be Indian hemp.
The Commander of 4 Brigade, Brigadier-General Abel Umahi, said the breakthrough arrests were due to the use of tracking devices. Umahi said they were after the leaders of the cult group.
He said the command had destroyed more than 15 illegal refineries and arrested four tankers within the last one month, adding that the suspects would be handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution.
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