| The police in Lagos on Saturday gunned down six suspected kidnappers during an operation to rescue a Lebanese seized since Monday last week.
Lagos Commissioner of police, Marvel Akpoyibo, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, said N30m ransom was also recovered from the dead hostage takers. The Lebanese, Akpoyibo said, was kidnapped at the Ozumba Mbadiwe area of Lagos Island on Monday. ”They kept him in the creeks on the island while they demanded a ransom of N300m,” the Lagos CP explained. Curiously, while the police withheld the Lebanese names, newsmen were allowed to take his photograph. The police told SUNDAY PUNCH that the manager of the company where the Lebanese worked, Mr. Mohammed Sanni, who was contacted by the kidnappers agreed to pay N30m which the dead suspects insisted they wanted only in the N1000 denominations. Unknown to the kidnappers, however, the company had contacted the police who mounted surveillance on the waters. ”As soon Mohammed placed the ransom at the location, he turned back. Thinking that the coast was clear, the kidnappers came out of hiding in a speed boat to pick the money that was in two big sacks. The police swooped on them”, the commissioner stated. Akpoyibo, while displaying the recovered money, said that the police would not tolerate kidnappers in the state. He added, ”The operation was tactically carried out and clinically finished. The marine and land police jointly carried out the operation. We are dedicated to ensuring safety of lives on the land and on the sea.” |
Mar302009