Matilda Omonaiye/
When a successful cattle-dealer, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, was kidnapped and killed three years ago, it all seemed to be a perfect crime.
But, sustained efforts by police detectives have led to the arrest of suspected killers of the cattle dealer, in Rivers State, led by his secretary identified as Kenneth Lemon, who was also a youth leader filled with bitterness.
That was not the only startling revelation, Lemon was found to have acted as the Judas who sold his master out to leaders of Agbeta Community where he was rearing his cattle. They wanted him dead because his cows were allegedly damaging their crops.
NewsmakersNG learnt that the victim was kidnapped at about 1:30pm on June 24, 2017 at Agbeta Camp in Ebubu, under Eleme LGA of Rivers State where his cows were being reared.
According to detectives, the kidnappers demanded N3million. The ransom was paid by the victim’s younger brother, Alhaji Alhashim Abdullahi.
The kidnappers, however, refused to release their hostage.
The matter was, thereafter, reported at Eleme Police Station and the case was transferred to the Anti-kidnapping Unit of Rivers State Police Command headquarters for investigation.
After waiting for over a year, the victim’s family was not satisfied with the pace of investigation and a justice-seeking petition was written to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu.
Operatives of FIB-Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by DCP Abba Kyari later received directives from the IGP to commence a further investigation. The team began to follow up leads and clues since 2019.
After a recent arrest of the kidnappers and killers of a Superintendent of Police Moses Egbede, DCO of AFAM by IRT teams, detectives stumbled on a vital piece of Information during the interrogation of one of the suspects. That was their breakthrough.
On September 23, the FIB-Intelligence Response Team with technical assistance from TIU Abuja, arrested six persons directly involved in the kidnap and disappearance of Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Details of the arrested suspects were given as:
Forty-seven-year-old Kenneth Lemon, a Youth Secretary of Agbeta Community and the Personal Secretary to the late Abdullahi on community matters. He was on the payroll of the victim, says the police.
Lemon was also identified as a member of the gang that masterminded the kidnap of the victim. He allegedly facilitated the kidnap by putting a call across to Alhaji Abdullahi, asking him to come and meet with the community leaders before he alerted his abductors to pick him on his way back.
He was also identified by the police as the person that collected the N3million ransom from the brother of the victim on June 29, 2017 at Onne trailer park under the pretext of taking the money to the kidnappers but instead took it to his house then called his boys and ordered them to kill Alhaji Abdullahi after which they all met with him and shared the ransom.
Detectives told NewsmakersNG that Lemon’s share of the ransom was N380, 000.
A voodoo priest from Agbeta community, identified as 36-year-old Lucky Teeage allegedly received N380, 000 as his share.
Other arrested suspects included 23-year-old Philimon Barrifa aka OJ, who allegedly brought the locally made pistol that was used for the kidnap and also got a share of N380, 000 from the ransom; Pius Kpalap, 39, was allegedly part of the meeting where the kidnapping was planned, involved more participants and got a share of N380, 000, and Chief Friday Giadom, 55 – the Village Head of Agbeta Community who allegedly participated in the plan to kidnap Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi but did not receive anything from the ransom.
He told the police that between 2015 and early 2017, crops in the community and other farm produce were being destroyed by Alhaji Abdullahi’s cows and the matter was reported at Eleme Police Station but the police were unable to take proper action because the boys rearing the cows in the bush refused to honour police invitation. He added that officers who attempted to arrest the herdsmen in the bush were chased away and the community became frustrated and resorted to self-help by first trying to chase the herdsmen through diabolical means.
When that failed, the kidnap was jointly planned by the council of chiefs and youths of Agbeta community under the supervision of Chief Giadom.
The sixth arrested suspect was identified as 43-year-old Donubari Badung aka Domvida, a member of Agbeta Community youth fingered as a gang member of the late dreaded gangster – Bobosky of Gokana LGA who allegedly brought an AK47 rifle to the community which was used in killing some of the cows belonging to the victim.
According to investigators, he was aware of the kidnap but was not around when the victim was kidnapped and he did not benefit from the ransom.
Suspects have allegedly confessed to the kidnap and killing of the victim.
0