MICHAEL AKINOLA
Police operatives from the Commissioner of Police Special Squad led by CSP Kehinde Johnson have busted and arrested the leader of a notorious suspected kidnapping gang, Kelly Miyempiri, in a fierce operation in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the operation was said to have lasted for several months and all the traps set for the gang by the Police for those months were unsuccessful as the gang continued to terrorize the residents unabated.
According to the residents, the 31-year old Miyempiri and his gang members had been terrorizing the residents of Ikorodu indeed Lagos State and its environs for several months to the extent that he was suspected to be invincible because the Police were unable to arrest him and members of his gang.
According to the Police, the suspect, Kelly Miyempiri and other members of his gang now at large, had between 7th day of February, 2024 at Oloja, Igbe-Lara Ikorodu, conspired and kidnapped a woman, Lasisi Oluwaseyi and demanded N50m ransom.
While the victim was in captivity, her family negotiated for ransom and they later agreed to collect N3,400,000.00 at Itele area of Ogun State.
Unknown to Miyempiri the family had contacted the Police, who trailed and wanted to arrest him while he went to collect the ransom. But he eventually managed to escape Police arrest in a manner that even surprised the Police officers who went for the operation.
The action by the victim’s family when he tried to receive the ransom angered him and he subsequently ordered that his gang should kill the victim, Lasisi Oluwaseyi.
Apart from that, on 26th March, 2024, Miyempiri and others at large, at 36, Wilson Nwusike Street, Agric Ikorodu Lagos, did forcefully took, held, abducted, instilled fear and kidnapped one Naomi Akplo and demanded N2m ransom from the family, which they paid.
The victim, Naomi Akplo, regained her freedom on 29th March, 2024, after keeping her in captivity for several days but was lucky that she came back alive and rejoined her family unlike late Lasisi Oluwaseyi.
The prime suspect, Miyempiri, was said to have escaped several traps set for him and members of his gang before he was eventually arrested and detained at the Command headquarters for investigation over his criminal activities.
After rounds of interrogation, the Police found him culpable and charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.
However, the Court did not take his plea when he was arraigned following a motion moved by the Prosecutor, Supol Akeem Raji, asking the Court to give a date and refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, ordered his remand in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending the outcome of the DPP’s legal advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned for mention for the report of the DPP’s advice to be ready, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.