Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested two Pakistanis who are the leaders of a notorious kidnapping ring in the state.
They were arrested on Wednesday after sources informed the police of the abduction of a 48-year-old Pakistani in Ikeja, the state’s capital.
The police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, in a statement, identified the criminals as Roman Gull and Adrian Ahmad, aged 19 and 28, respectively.
They are members of a seven-man kidnapping gang. Although the police secured the arrest of Gull and Ahmad, the other members absconded.
Investigations revealed that Gull and Ahmad lured their 48-year-old victim to Lagos from his residence in Kano.
They deceived him by offering him a job as a chef in Lagos and booked his flight. Unbeknownst to the victim, it was a ploy. He embarked on the journey to Lagos and was lodged in a hotel in Ikeja by his captors.
On February 29, a day after his arrival in Lagos, he was visited by seven people, including Gull and Ahmad, who overpowered him. They tied his hands and legs and sent a message to his boss in Kano, requesting a ransom of fifty million naira.
His boss paid one million naira and asked for more time from the kidnappers. He also alerted the police about his abduction.
Hundeyin further noted that the police operatives who embarked on the mission recovered some items from the possession of the criminals on Wednesday.
“Recovered from the suspects are their operational vehicle, a grey-colored Toyota Camry saloon car, the victim’s two thousand dollars cash, three ATM cards, a green card, a driver’s license, and an NIN slip,” said Hundeyin.
The police are still working towards arresting the other members of the gang who fled the scene.