A man has told police officers how his father stole a huge sum of money he had collected as ransom from his victims.
The suspects
A suspected cultist and kidnap kingpin, Edidiong Bill, popularly known as ‘Barrister’, 36, yesterday narrated how his father stole from the ransom he collected when he brought the money home.
“Barrister” who was paraded by the police before newsmen in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, confessed that he orchestrated three kidnapping cases but succeeded in one.
According to him, N4.5million was paid as ransom but lamented that his father stole N3.8 million when he brought the cash home for safe-keeping.
He said: “I kidnapped the lady at Akpan Essien Street in Uyo and kept her in an uncompleted building at Obio Etoi, in Uyo and N4.5million was later paid as ransom. I don’t use to stay with my father but on that particular day, I went home with the money and hid it in the house, but I later found out that my father had stolen N3.8million from the total cash.”
The suspect, who the police described as a gang leader, claimed that he was jailed for a similar crime in 2014. The state police command said that “Barrister” was arrested when his kidnapping ring was busted at Afaha Effiat community in Etinan local government area.
The police described him as one of the most wanted gang leaders of the Vikings Confraternity. He allegedly masterminded several kidnappings and armed robbery activities on the Etinan-Uyo and Calabar Itu head bridge.
Parading “Barrister” and several other criminals yesterday at the Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia in Uyo, the state capital, the commissioner of police (CP), Mr. Zaki Ahmed, said the syndicates were smashed based on intelligence reports.