Suspected Self-Kidnapper, Eight Others Arrested in Delta

The Delta State Police Command has arrested a suspected self-kidnapper Nelson Eserada and his accomplice, Jerry Lawrence. The command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this on Thursday while speaking to PUNCH Metro in Asaba.

He said this was accomplished following complaints received from the father of one Nelson Eserada at Abraka Division that his son Nelson Eserada was kidnapped and that the kidnappers were demanding a ransom of N50m in bitcoin.

“The suspect also sent a video of the supposed victim tied and being tortured. The DPO Abraka SP Fabian Ayameh swiftly moved into action, embarked on a technical intelligence-led investigation. “On June 10, 2024, one Jerry Lawrence of Jeddo Community Warri was arrested in connection with the crime.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect conspired with the said Nelson Eserada, a 400 Level student of Banking & Finance Department of the Delta State University Abraka. The father had already paid the sum N5.2 ransom through a Bitcoin account belonging to the principal suspect Jerry Lawrence,” he said.

Edafe said the suspects were in custody and an investigation was going on. In another development, eight suspected armed robbers terrorising the Asaba metropolis have been arrested by the command.

According to Edafe, following complaints of house-to-house armed robbery incidents received from residents in Bonsaac, Okwe and other areas in the Asaba metropolis, the Commissioner of Police, Abaniwonda Olufemi, deployed a new DPO to ‘B’ Division Asaba with a clear mandate to identify, and arrest those responsible.

“Consequently, on May 8, 2024, the newly posted DPO CSP Edewor Akponegware received credible information from a concerned resident (name withheld) that he cited some suspicious-looking boys around the Mango Tree Market and that they were armed.

“The DPO immediately led patrol teams of the division to the scene and in the process the following suspects were arrested: John Dalami 25; Musa Suleiman 25; Abdullahi Jibril 20; Solomon Uchechukwu 24; Yusuf Joda 21; Egboka Chukwu Charles 21; and Wisdom Syvester 21,” he said.

Edafe said the search was conducted at a scene and the following items were recovered: A Baco bag containing a locally made cut-to-size gun and one live cartridge. He said the suspects have confessed to being involved in the series of house-to-house armed robbery operations at Issele-Asagba, Coka, and Ibusa areas

The spokesperson said acting on the confessions of the suspects, the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Squad led the operatives to their hideout at the back of the DDPA Estate, Asaba where six additional suspects were arrested and three locally made cut-to-size guns were recovered.

Source: Punch