Kidnap Suspect Loses Family Home After Receiving N800,000 Ransom
The Edo State Government’s Anti-Kidnapping Task Force has intensified its crackdown on criminal activities by demolishing properties linked to kidnappers.
In the latest operation, a middle-aged man, Oboh Odianosen, from Uromi town, lost his inherited family home after confessing to his involvement in kidnapping operations in Edo Central Senatorial District.
The demolition followed Odianosen’s arrest and confession, where he admitted to participating in a recent kidnapping operation. Before the demolition, he spoke to journalists, revealing that he had received N800,000 as his share of a N5 million ransom paid for a victim abducted in Ekpoma.
“My name is Odianosen Oboh. This is my house. My father built it, but I completed it. I worked with my friend Epama on the operation. We kidnapped a man from Ekpoma.
The car we used broke down, so I transported him on my bike. We kept him in the bush in Uromi for three days until his family paid N5 million. There were five of us involved, and I received N800,000. I used part of the money to settle debts,” Odianosen confessed.
He further revealed that his arrest came after his accomplice, Epama, was apprehended and named him as a co-conspirator. Expressing distress over the demolition, he lamented: “Now, they want to demolish my father’s house because of N800,000. My family will have no home, and my children are now outside. Anyone seeing this should stay away from crime.”
Supervising the demolition, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Affairs, Akhere Paul, reiterated the government’s commitment to eradicating kidnapping in Edo State.
“There is no peace for the wicked. Those still engaging in kidnapping should know that the government will not stop. Your time will come, and we will come for you. We will continue to hunt them down and demolish their houses,” Paul warned.
The Commander of the Task Force, Michael Anetor, confirmed that Odianosen was part of a gang of five kidnappers and had confessed to the crime.
“This man, Oboh, is a kidnapper. He has admitted to the crime, and I personally interviewed him. He claimed it was his first time, but we have also demolished the house of his accomplice, Palmer. Let this be a warning—those still considering crime should know that the Governor is determined, and we at the Task Force will work round the clock until kidnapping stops in Edo State,” Anetor stated.
The demolition, as noticed by WorldClass247News, marks the fourth property brought down by the Task Force as part of the government’s aggressive stance against kidnapping in the state.