KIDNAPPERS AND RAPISTS FROM THE PITS OF HELL : We raped NTA reporter, collected N1m ransom, say suspects ... NewTelegraph

Two suspects, arrested for inter-state armed robbery, have claimed they raped a kidnapped journalist working with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), after collecting N1 million ransom from her family. The suspects, Bashiru Raji (36) and Christian Jacob (35), were arrested by the Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command.

The police said the suspects robbed in Delta, Ondo and Lagos states. They were arrested on August 16. According to the police, the suspects kidnapped an NTA journalist in 2012, raped her several times and still collected N1 million ransom from her family. The police explained that the two suspects were arrested at the Egbeda roundabout, Lagos. The suspects were believed to have fled to Lagos after committing a crime in Delta. “They came to Lagos, with the intention to rob a bank and a hotel. But they met their waterloo in Lagos,” a police source said.

They were arrested after the officer in charge of SARS, Mr Abba Kyarri, received a tip-off about their presence and plans to attack the bank and hotel. “The Ondo State SARS has been on their trail for long. But they were arrested by the Lagos SARS. They have other members who are still at large. We’re hunting them,” another policeman said. Raji, father of seven and marries two wives, said he was initiated into robbery by a young man in the compound he used to live.

He added that always drives during robbery operations by fiveman gang. He said: “It happened after my wife died. There was a young man who used to smoke Indian hemp in our compound. He introduced me to the gang. We picked the journalist on Ibadan Road, Akure. We took her to our hideout in Odigbo. Some other members of our gang also raped her. “We later released her after we collected N1m ransom. My share of the money was N200,000. We have kidnapped on two other occasions.

On the kidnapping issue, we are wanted by the Ondo State SARS. So we fled to Delta State.” Raji said that a man, who was an informant to the police in Lagos, called them, saying there was an operation that would make every member happy. According to him, at that point, they did not know they were dealing with a police informant. “We thought he was also a robber. We came and were arrested. He told us on phone that he had a Hausa neighbour who had dollars and also a bank we could rob.

We did not know he was an informant.” Jacob, a trader who sells foodstuff, said that his friends called him to participate in the abduction of the woman. He was given N10,000 for that operation. Aside from selling foodstuff at Oja Oshodi in Ondo State, he was also selling Indian hemp. He disclosed that he has an Indian hemp farm. “My farm is at Odogbolu. I sell the weeds to buyers from the North. I’ve been into Indian hemp farming in the last three years. Most times I get N150,000 from the northern buyers. The harvest of weeds is after seven months,” Jacob added.