A 50-year-old Italian kidnap syndicate, Blessing Fernando, for abducting an victim in Delta State.
Fernando was arrested at Ogbe-Isoko community when he went to collect an additional ransom of N50,000 from the victim’s relatives, having collected N250,000 initially.
Prior to his arrest, the suspect was residing at Evowe Quarters of Ozoro in Isoko North Local Government Area.
The state Commissioner of Police, Zanna Ibrahim, who paraded him alongside 22 suspected kidnappers and three armed at the command headquarters in Asaba yesterday, said the kidnapping syndicate had terrorised Ozoro and its environs for years.
“He was arrested at a scene where he came to collect ransom of additional sum of N50,000 from the victim’s relatives having robbed the victim the sum of N250,000.
Effort to arrest other fleeing gang members is on course as case will be charged to court soon,” the commissioner said.
On interrogation, the suspect, who confessed to be a member of the kidnapping syndicate, said he was co-opted under duress after he was duped of N600,000.
He said: “They forced me to become their member, if I must get back my money. My desperation to recover my money from them has landed me in this mess. They told me to go and wait at the scene where I was arrested for somebody who will bring some money from which they will offset what they had defrauded me. ”
Fernando said his mother hailed from Isoko ethnic group in Delta State while his father was an Italian.
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