Seven months after he was released from prison custody in Port Harcourt, Rivers State over kidnapping, Sorbari Apollolos has found his way back to the place for the same offence.
Popularly known as Blackie among his gang members, Apollolos was recently arrested by the police for kidnapping a 67-year-old businesswoman identified only as Obianuju.
Apollolos and three other suspects, Daniel Johngbo, Harridon Barryira and Lebara Tobia, were apprehended at several locations in the state.
It was learnt that Obianuju was returning home from a church in a Toyota Sienna on February 7, 2019, when the gun-wielding kidnappers ambushed her some metres away from her Rumuobiakani residence.
The suspects, some of whom were reportedly dressed in military camouflage, whisked the woman away in her vehicle.
They allegedly held her hostage in a forest for six days and collected millions of naira in ransom before she was released.
Speaking with City Round during the week, Apollolos noted that Obianuju’s kidnap was coordinated by one Gbenena, who is still at large, adding that he (Apollolos) got a share of N350,000 from the ransom.
Apollolos said ransom negotiation and collection were carried out by Gbenena, noting that a resident of the area where Obianuju resides gave the “job” to the gang.
Recalling his kidnapping escapades, the 28-year-old man stated that he took to the crime in 2015 and participated in two operations before he was arrested in March 2016.
He said he got N150,000 share from N800,000 ransom they collected from the relatives of one of their victims whom they kidnapped in Nyorkwe community.
In his confession, 20-year-old Johngbo said Gbenena engaged him to take care of Obianuju during her stay in captivity.
He said Obianuju prayed for him before she was freed and advised him to turn a new leaf.
Narrating her ordeal, Obianuju, said the kidnappers initially demanded N80m in ransom and subjected her to series of torture. She said the abductors told her they had been paid N40m to kill her.
Obianunju recalled, “After I was abducted, the kidnappers slapped me several times. They told me that they had been trailing me since 2008. The beating persisted and I almost suffocated. They took me to the forest where they resumed the beating. They flogged me several times. One of them hit me on the forehead with a hammer. At that point, I informed them that my family could raise the N80m ransom they demanded and they opened negotiations with them.”
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