Lagos schoolgirls abduction: Pastor, bank robber among suspects arrested

A pastor was one of those arrested in connection with the abduction of three female students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary in Ikorodu Lagos State last week Monday.
Pastor Akanji Oluwaseun; Emmanuel Arigidi, 37; and James Henry, alias Segun Alabi Olatunde, were the suspects presented to journalists on Sunday by the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, and Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni.
Arigidi was among the dreaded bank robbers that unleashed hell in Lagos State last year.
They robbed banks at Lekki, Ikorodu, Festac and Agbara.
They killed women, children and policemen.
They also maimed and injured many.
According to Arigidi, his leader in the bank robberies was one Millions.
Millions was arrested by the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team.
The rescue of the girls was facilitated by SIRT, after it took over the case on March 4, 2016.
A police source said following detailed instruction by the IGP, Solomon Arase, the SIRT operatives, with the aid of intelligence led policing, arrested Arigidi, a native of old Ese Village Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Revealing how they kidnapped the girls on that fateful Monday around 8pm, Arigidi said he was part of a 12-man-gang that abducted the girls.
He said one Felix, aka Tradition, was the member charged with the responsibility of negotiating for ransom with the distraught families of the victims.
Arigidi further disclosed that one Lamienmu brought the kidnapping job to the gang.
After the girls were abducted, they kept them in Adamma Forest, across the river in Ikorodu area.
He was arrested when he came out from the forest one evening to buy food stuff.
Arigidi said: “We came through water with eight boats and 10 AK47 rifles for the kidnapping operation.
“We escaped with the girls in the same boats.
“Yes, I’m a member of the robbers that attacked banks at Ikorodu.
“Clement Abanara, aka Millions, earlier arrested by the police, is our leader.
“It was Millions who recruited me for bank robberies.”
A police source said: “A father of two of the kidnappers went to the creek on Saturday in a canoe, after getting description of the gang’s location from one of the suspects arrested by the IG’s team.
“The old man went and pleaded with his sons and the gang members to release the girls immediately because police had made several arrests, including arrest of Arigidi.
“He told them that he heard that police were about to lead 500 armed policemen to the creek.
“This apparently made the kidnappers to assure the father on Saturday that they would release the girls unfailingly.”
Pastor Oluwaseun said: “I’m just a trader at Adamo Street in Ikorodu.
“I sell recharge cards, phone and SIM cards.
“When policemen were calling me, I told them where they could find me.
“I told them because I hadn’t done anything wrong.
“I told to ask for Pastor when they get to my area.
“The next thing I know was that they arrested me.
“Our church is not far from my shop.”
According to Owoseni, Oluwaseun was a conspirator to the kidnappers.
Owoseni said Oluwaseun was the person who sent recharged cards to the kidnappers, which they used in calling and negotiating for ransom.
Owoseni said: “Three suspects were arrested.
“One is an active member in the kidnap and the other two are conspirators.
“We asked the girls if they were molested in anyway, they said they were not molested.
“Immediately, medical attention was given to the girls by police medical team.”
The three girls – Timilehin Olosa, Tofunmi Popoolaniyan and Deborah Akinayo – were kidnapped by gunmen last week Monday in the school.
Speaking to journalists, Arigidi said: “Three days ago, I was arrested by the police at Majidun area of Lagos, near the bridge.
“I explained everything to them on how we arranged the operations.
“It was one Lamienmu, who brought the kidnapping work to me through Felix and his gang – Godfrey, Akpoki, Ekpokeme and Orwell.
“After strategizing at Majidun, we went to the school through Maya Village.
“We stormed the school around 8pm and kidnapped three girls.
“When we got to where we were to hide the girls, my members and I quarrelled.
“We quarrelled because I told them I didn’t like the idea of kidnapping the girls.
“I changed my mind after the girls were kidnapped because security in Lagos is tight.
“I told them that police would arrest us, but they refused to listen.
“I told them that we might start the operation, but we wouldn’t end well.
“I didn’t want policemen chasing me around.
“Now we have been arrested.
“If police didn’t arrest me, those girls wouldn’t have been rescued.
“I told them where the girls were kept.
“Immediately, we moved to Maya Village, onward Igbokuta Village, where the girls were later rescued.
“The guns we used for the operation were the ones we used in vandalism.
“We have not collected any money from the parents.
“We were still demanding for ransom before we were arrested.”
Henry, 29, was arrested because one of the phone numbers used in tracking the suspects was registered with his picture and his name.
“But just like Oluwaseun, Henry denied being a member of the gang.
He said: “I used to register SIM Cards.
“Someone bought SIM card and came to register it.
“I forgot to take his snapshot.
“I needed his picture to complete the registration.
“I now used my picture to complete the registration.
“Police came to arrest me.
“He said some people had been using the phone number to negotiate for ransom.”
Incidentally, Henry and Oluwaseun have shops adjacent each other.
Oluwaseun was first arrested and when police asked him if he knew any Segun Alabi Olatunde, he pointed to Henry.
Henry’s face matched the picture that goes with the phone number the police had been tracking.
Henry is now insisting that Segun Alabi Olatunde, in which name the SIM was registered, was not his real name.
According to him, his nickname is just Segun.
He said the man who bought the SIM and didn’t complete his registration is one elusive Segun Alabi Olatunde.