A driver, Yinka Adebanjo, has confessed to orchestrating the kidnap of his bosses at Odogunyan, Ikorodu, Lagos State. Adebanjo, aka Esho, was a driver at Mateco Industry West Africa Limited, where the victims, Jamie Larcar and Mario Maglundo (Filipinos) worked.
Adebanjo connived with an herbalist, Ishau Awokoya, and one Seun Ogunjobi, to abduct the expatriates. Members of the 7-man gang, had pretended to be vigilantes guarding some Ikorodu communities against members of the dreaded Badoo cult.
They reportedly laid in ambush for the Filipinos, who were in a Jeep driven by Adebanjo. The compromised driver was ‘ordered’ to disembark from the vehicle as one of his accomplices took over the steering and drove away the victims.
“They took the victims to the herbalist’s house in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State, on July 5, 2017, and kept them for 9 days. The victims were released after collecting the sum of N4m as ransom.
Following their release, a team of the Anti-kidnapping unit of the state police command tracked down the driver to Ikotun, Lagos. He was said to have led the detectives to arrest the herbalist and Ogunjobi.
The suspects were paraded by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni. Charms and other ritual paraphernalia recovered from the suspects were also displayed.
Adebanjo confessed to providing information that led to the abduction of his bosses, adding that he got N400,000 from the N4m ransom.
