Christ Embassy Music Director Arrested For Kidnap

It is true that when the devil pushes a man, he pushes the man to his

downfall. This is clearly the story of a robbery suspect, Edward Nnaji

who claimed to be a movie actor and played a role in a film titled

Friday Night and also the music director at Christ Embassy Church,

Zone 1, Idimangoro Parish, Agege, Lagos.



Edward-Nnaji-left-and-other-kidnap-suspects

The 25-year-old man alongsid two of his alleged accomplices were

arrested two years after they allegedly conspired with others to

kidnap a female banker, Popoola Morenikeji, and collected the sum of

N5 million as ransom before they set her free.



According to the police, PMnews reports that the suspects kidnapped

the victim at Amuwo Odofin area of Mile 2, Lagos close to her

residence when she stepped out of her vehicle to buy something and

took her to an uncompleted building in a bush at Mowe area of Ogun

State. They tied her legs and hands and kept her for four days until a

ransom was paid before they set her free.



The suspects reportedly set the victim free after her family members

paid the sum of N5 million as ransom.



The suspects, according to the police, also sold the victim's Toyota

Corolla car valued at N1.8 million for N250,000 to David Nwangboe (now

at large). 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.



However, nemesis caught up with the arrested suspects two years after

they allegedly perpetrated the act on August 1, 2014. The alleged ring

leader, Nnaji regrouped with others and sent a threat to life text

message to the victim to send N150,000 into their account for recharge

card, with a warning that if she failed to send the money, they will

trail her this time around and eliminate her.



The banker immediately 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 and they were arrested in Lagos and Edo states.

During interrogation, all the suspects allegedly 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. In his alleged

confession to the police, Nnaji said Jek master minded the kidnapping

.



"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.



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,"Nnaji said.



The suspects have however been charged before an Igbosere Magistrates'

court, Lagos on a four-count charge of felony to wit, armed robbery.

The offenses the police prosecutor, Supol Charles Odii said, 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 plea of the accused persons was not taken and Magistrate E. N.

Johnson ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody pending

DPP's advice on the matter. She adjourned the case till 13 January,

2015 for mention.