How Police Foiled Attempt To Kidnap Billionaire Femi Otedola

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE

The Nigerian police said they have foiled a plan by some suspected kidnappers to abduct billionaire and energy tycoon, Femi Otedola.

In a statement released Wednesday by the force spokesman, Don Awunah, three members of a notorious gang which had planned to abduct Otedola with plans to demand a N1 billion ransom before his release, have been arrested.

The suspects, police said were arrested on 23 June through a coordinated intelligence gathering and deployment of technical investigative tools that spanned several weeks.

The police gave the name of the principal suspect as Ikechukwu Daniel, a 28 years old indigene of Imo State.

Daniel, said to have mastery of computer applications, confessed to his past criminal exploits in the south west of the country, the police said.

He was said to have been rusticated from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 2010 because of cult related activities.

The police also mentioned a serving officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Adeyemi Kayode, as being among the arrested suspects.

Kayode, 29, until his arrest, was serving as a Personal Assistant to the Commandant, NSCDC in the Oyo State Command, the police said.

“The suspect (Kayode) took undue advantage of his office to obtain the GSM number and location of their would-be victim. He hatched the plan on how to kidnap the business magnate to make a demand of N1 billion ransom.”

“All the suspects made confessional statements revealing that they had successfully carried out several high profile kidnappings and two AK47 rifles loaded with live ammunition were recovered from them,” the statement said.

“While efforts are currently being intensified to apprehend other members of the gang and extend investigation to their other criminal enterprise, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris wishes to restate the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to clamp down on all criminal activities across the country and reassures law abiding citizens that criminal elements would be eventually apprehended and charged to court.

“The IGP urges Nigerians to avail the Police with relevant information that will help in the crusade against crime, as such information would be treated with utmost confidentiality,” the police said.

Otedola, according to one of her daughters, DJ Cuppy, has been so afraid of robbers and kidnappers to the extent of going extra miles to protect his family.

In a recent article by the UK’s tabloid, Daily Mail, DJ Cuppy, (Florence Ife Otedola) has narrated how her father has been so over protective and afraid she could be kidnapped in Nigeria and then move around in bulletproof cars with retinue of bodyguards flanking her whenever she is in the country.

According to her, being the daughter of a billionaire also brings with it additional problems.

When she is working in Nigeria she needs to travel with a security team in a bullet proof car due to the risk of robbery and kidnapping.

Cuppy said for this reason she feels much happier in London, where she has recently moved into her own apartment.

She said: “London is bliss as I can walk down Brompton Road without a worry in the world. In Lagos I can’t say “I am going out for two hours”, I have to go with people, take security, my dad needs to know where I am. None of my other DJ friends need security, it is kind of his fault so he has to pay for it.”

The Otedola owns a family home in the swanky neighbourhood of London’s Knightsbridge where Otedola’s wife, Nana and the rest of the family reside.