The Edo State Government has demolished the property of a suspected kidnapper, Oboh Odianosen, in the Edo Central Senatorial district after he confessed to collecting an N800,000 share from an N5 million ransom.
The state’s Task Force against Kidnapping carried out the demolition on Wednesday following Odianosen’s arrest and admission of involvement in the crime.
Speaking before the demolition, Odianosen admitted to participating in the abduction of a man in Ekpoma, stating that he and his gang of five took the victim into a forest in Uromi, where they held him for three days before his family paid N5 million for his release.
He stated, “My name is Odianosen Oboh. This is my house. My father started the building, but I completed it.
“It was my friend, Epama, that I followed for the operation. We abducted a man from Ekpoma and moved him in a car that later broke down. I had to use my motorcycle to take him into the bush in Uromi, where we kept him for three days until his family paid the ransom.”
Odianosen said he used his N800,000 share to settle debts but blamed his friend for exposing him.
“It was Epama who mentioned my name after he was arrested. Now, they are demolishing my father’s house because of N800,000. My family has no home, and my children are outside. Everyone should stay away from crime,” he lamented.
Speaking after the demolition, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Affairs, Paul Akhere, warned that the government would not relent in its crackdown on kidnappers.
“There is no peace for the wicked. Those still engaging in kidnapping should know that the government will not stop hunting them. Your time will come, and we will come for you. We will chase the kidnappers and continue to pull down their houses,” he said.
The Commander of the Task Force, SP Michael Anetor, confirmed that Odianosen and his gang had confessed to the crime, necessitating the enforcement of the law.
The demolition marks the fourth property brought down by the task force as part of the state’s renewed efforts to combat kidnapping.
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