By Christopher Oji
LAGOS State Police Command has arrested Felix Silver (aka Tradition), the alleged mastermind of the kidnap of three female students of Babington Marcauly Junior Seminary, Ikorodu, Lagos.
Silver was named as the alleged leader of the gang that abducted the three female students about four months ago.
The suspect was yesterday arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS).
Siver recalled how he planned the abduction of the three schoolgirls.
He said: “We were into oil bunkering before tragedy befell us; 400 of our members were burnt by an inferno that engulfed the creek. After mourning our dead members, Lemo, one of the suspects, brought the idea of kidnapping.
“We deliberated on the issue and we saw reasons with him. We resolved to start kidnapping. Because I have grey hairs and look tough, I was appointed the leader of the group. We were seven in number, but we worked with other groups. Well, we did the Babington Junior Seminary job. We stormed the place with four boats. It was Lemo that brought his mother’s boats. Rufus provided the arms and ammunition. Two Ak 47 rifle, 47 live cartridges, six magazines and two locally made guns.
“We gained entry into the school by breaking through the fence. When we entered the school, we started firing into the air to scare the people. We picked three girls. We kept them in a tent we built in the creek. We had DSTV in the bush, so we were monitoring the news. The school paid a ransom of N5.4 million. They promised N5.6 million, but they shortchanged us with N200,000. My share was N300,000 because we gave money to other gang members because of the hardship in the creek.
“My gang was also responsible for the kidnap of some workers in Dangote area of Ajah. We got N2 million. We also abducted a Chinese in Lekki area. The police rescued the Chinese. It was Mosquito, one of the suspects, who brought the useless job.
“I was arrested in Magbo, near Ojodu Berger where I went to relax with my girlfriend,” Silver said.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspect, said: “The Edo State-born Felix Silver is a kingpin known in Ikorodu, Epe and Ibafo, Ogun State. He specialised in armed robbery, kidnapping and pipeline vandalism. He is the mastermind of the schoolgirls’ abduction in Ikorodu recently.”