“Had I married earlier, I wouldn’t be a kidnapper” – Female suspect explains

Ngozi Onuonwu

Ngozi Onuonwu, 36, who was arrested as a member of a kidnapping syndicate in Lagos said she got involved in kidnapping because she
was frustrated.

She said she got frustrated because of her single status, she said if she had gotten married earlier she would not have had to live with her younger brother who introduced her to kidnapping.

She said she lost her fiance in the Umuleri/Aguleri communal war which led to her relocation to Lagos.

Ngozi continued saying, her younger brother, Chibuzor, was part of the communal war and most of the youths who participated in the fighting were not demobilized leading them to use available arms for varying crimes afterwards.

The leader of the kidnapping gang operating in Festac, Henry Emenike, 30, confessed that his gang made more than N20m since they started kidnapping people in Lagos two months ago. Abia State-born Emenike made the revelation when he was paraded at the Police Headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos, Tuesday along with seven suspected members of his gang, including Ngozi.

The other members paraded with Emenike are Uche Ogbansi, 30, from Abia State, popularly known as Rasta; Emeka Obasi , 33, from Ebonyi State; Oliver Nwabueze, 30, from Imo State; a commercial motorcycle rider who allegedly provided his bike for their movement, Chibuzor Osuagwu, 29, also from Imo State and Ngozi.

Emenike, who was formerly into the palm oil business, further confesses that his gang had successfully carried out more than four kidnapping operations which had fetched them a lot of money.

He said their last operation went awry when their last victim died allegedly due to police intervention.

Emenike told newsmen that their victims were always kept in care of Uche Ogbansi, popularly known as Rasta, who lives at Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos.

Dan Okoro, the Area Commander in charge of Festac said the police had for long been in the trail of the gang which led to their arrest in Festac.

Okoro said some members of the gang are still at large but the police are doing everything to get them arrested.

He said the recent kidnapping that resulted in the killing of the victim, Odi Nwaeze, was carried out by the gang.Hear, See, and Say it