Tosin Oke, a suspected kidnapper widely known by his alias “Old Soldier,” has expressed deep remorse for his involvement in the abduction of an oil magnate in Ajah, Lagos.
Oke, who was part of a six-man gang that executed the kidnapping, recently disclosed how he spent his share of the ransom money on his family’s needs, including his children’s education.
Oke, 40, was arrested alongside two other members of the gang after the victim’s family delivered a ransom of $30,000, equivalent to N42 million, and an additional N100,000 in cash.
The gang had kidnapped the oil magnate from his dredging site on Ado Road in Ajah, whisking him away via the waterways to an undisclosed location.
Oke shared details of his actions after receiving his portion of the ransom.
“They gave me $1,700, and when I exchanged it at the Bureau De Change, I received N1.8 million,” Oke said in Pidgin English. “I used part of it for my children’s school fees, feeding, and saved the rest in my account.
“I regret getting involved in this; I’m not even sure if I was bewitched into joining them. I don’t understand how I became part of this.”
Oke’s life before his criminal activities was relatively modest. He claimed to have worked as an agent for the police in Zone 2 and was never involved in any criminal activities before joining the kidnapping gang.
“Even my family members questioned my involvement because they knew I had never been involved in anything like this before,” he confessed. “I honestly regret getting myself involved in this.”
His story took a dark turn when he joined the gang responsible for the abduction. The heavily armed kidnappers stormed the oil magnate’s site, firing shots into the air to scare off anyone who might try to intervene.
They then forced their victim into a speedboat and fled the scene, leaving his family to scramble for the ransom.
After the ransom was paid and divided among the kidnappers, the police tracked down Oke and his accomplices. Oke was apprehended in his hideout, where he was found with part of the ransom money.
The arrest of Oke and his gang members brought some relief to the victim’s family, who had endured a harrowing ordeal.
Oke’s remorse was evident as he discussed the consequences of his actions. He denied that the mansion he built in the Badagry area of Lagos was funded by his criminal activities, claiming that his family members had contributed to its construction.
“I used to work as an agent for the police in Zone 2,” he reiterated, “What could have driven me to participate in something like this?”
Oke’s case sheds light on the growing issue of kidnapping in Nigeria, which has become an alarming trend in recent years. The Nigerian government has been grappling with the rise in kidnapping cases, often linked to ransom demands.
Many victims, like the oil magnate in this case, are targeted for their wealth, and families are left with little choice but to pay the ransom to secure the safe release of their loved ones.
Kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative business for criminals in Nigeria, particularly in states like Lagos, Rivers, and Kaduna. The country’s security agencies have been working tirelessly to combat this menace, but the problem persists.
