Edward Nnaji, an actor in the Nollywood movie, Friday Night and who is also the music director at Christ Embassy Church, Zone 1, Idimangoro Parish, Agege, Lagos, western Nigeria has been arrested for armed robbery by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Lagos Island.
The 25-year-old and two others were arrested two years after they conspired with others to kidnap a female banker, Popoola Morenikeji, and collected the sum of N5 million as ransom before they set her free, the Police revealed.
Nnaji and his accomplices who had been monitoring the banker ambushed and kidnapped her at Amuwo Odofin area of Mile 2, Lagos close to her residence when she stepped out of her vehicle to buy something.
The Police further revealed that the suspects took Morenikeji to an uncompleted building in a bush at Mowe area of Ogun State, where they bound her legs and hands and kept her for four days until a ransom N5 million was paid by her family.
Nnaji and his accomplice also sold the victim’s Toyota Corolla car valued at N1.8 million to one David Nwangboe who is yet to be arrested for a meagre sum of N250,000. They also sold all the jewellery and handsets of the victim valued at N2 million and shared the loot.
Other suspects arrested in connection with the crime include Osas Osagie, 23, from Ogbe village, Oredo LGA of Edo State and Patrick Donatus Jackson, 29, who resides at 13, Famuyiwa Street, Idimangoro, Agege, Lagos, and hails from Akwa Ibom State.
One of the suspects simply called Jek is also at large.
The suspects were regrouping to continue extorting money from Morenikeji two years after kidnapping and releasing her when the law caught up with them on 1st August 2014.
Nnaji and others had initiated the second part of the act by sending text message to threaten Morenikeji if she does not send N150,000 into their account for recharge card.
Morenikeji had swiftly sent a petition to the Inspector general of Police after receiving the SMS to save her from the kidnappers.
The Commissioner of Police Federal SARS, DCP Chris Ezike, took the matter up and deployed a team led by Inspector Oluwemimo Banjoko to fish out the suspects.
According to the Police, all the suspects confessed to the crime and led the Police to the place they kidnapped the woman and kept her for four days before she was set free.
“Jek brought the information that there was a woman that has money but she was very selfish and that he will want was to assist him kidnap her and collect money from her. One of us, Patrick, a private driver, provided his master’s car with which we trailed the victim to her street at Amuwo Odofin Estate, Mile 2 Lagos and kidnapped her,” Nnaji confessed.
“We blindfolded her and took her to an uncompleted building at Mowe area of Ogun state and kept her and contacted her family to pay the sum of N5 million as ransom or else we will kill her. The family paid N1.5m and not N5m as claimed by the victim and the police and we released her, but we did not allow the victim to suffer while in our custody as we fed her with rice and chicken throughout the four days she spent with us.
“My worry now is that I don’t know how the devil pushed me again two years after we committed the crime to threaten the victim again for more money before we were arrested. God has blessed me as I am the director of music at the Christ Embassy Zone 1 Parish , Idimangoro, Lagos and also an actor who played a prominent role in a film titled Friday Night which gave me fame and fortune. I promise to change if I am set free.”
The suspects have been charged before an Igbosere Magistrates’ court, Lagos on a four-count charge of felony to wit, armed robberyThe Police said the offences are punishable under section 6 b, 1, 2(A) and b of the Robbery and Firearms Act and sections 269(1) (2) (3) and 270 of the criminal laws of Lagos state, 2011.
The Magistrate in charge of the case, E. N. Johnson ordered that the accused to be remanded in prison custody pending the director of public prosecution’s advice on the matter.
She adjourned the case till 13 January, 2015 for mention.
