Why we abducted Akewugbagold’s twins ― Suspected kidnappers

One of the suspected masterminds of the abduction of Sheikh Taofeek Azeez Akewugbagold’s two-year-old twins, Bashiru Mohammed (33), has said that the father of the children, who he worked with, “was trying his best for us but we just wanted to make more money from him and that was why we carried out the operation”

Mohammed spoke on Monday after being paraded by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu, at the state police command headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.

Speaking further, Mohammed said he had been working with Alhaji Akewugbagold for the past three years and felt he deserved better.

“It is not that he was not paying us, but we just felt we could get more money from him by carrying out the abduction. I can only say we allowed the love of money to take over our thinking and I pray that God will forgive us. We collected N4 million from Alhaji at Onidundu area of Ibadan,” Mohammed said.

However, the second mastermind, Opeyemi Oyeleye (25), who is also an employee of Alhaji Akewugbagold, denied being a party to the abduction.

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Oyeleye said after Mohammed had committed the crime, he escaped to Sokoto State, but later confessed to him on phone about the operation.

“I then persuaded him to go and confess to Alhaji Akewugbagold. In fact, when he called me on WhatsApp, I notified the police and I persuaded him to return to Ibadan.

“When he got back, I met him and he narrated how the whole operation went; it was while taking him to Alhaji Akewugbagold’s house to confess that the police arrested the two of us.

“I didn’t know anything about the abduction. I only wanted to make him confess to Alhaji Akewugbagold. My plan was to take him to Alhaji, with the remaining money and explain, but I was arrested by the police,” Oyeleye said.

The lady who was in charge of caring for the children for the eight days they were in captivity, Modinat Rafiu, said when her husband, Mutiu Rafiu, brought the twins to their house at Ogbere Target on April 25 with his friend, Fatai Akanji, they claimed Akanji’s wife had abandoned the children and absconded with a lover.

“I was then told to take care of the children and not allow them to go out as Akanji’s wife was searching for them so that she could take them. I immediately believed them and didn’t suspect anything until I was arrested by the police.”

The Commissioner of Police said after the abduction on April 25, operatives of the command swung into operation and through intelligence gathering, the seven suspects were arrested.

Olukolu, while thanking the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; the Oyo State governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, the AIG in-charge of Zone 11, Bashir Makama and members of the public for their support, said the suspects would be charged to court to answer for their crime.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE