Gabriel Ogunsawe is a 26-year-old father of one, who
is currently jailed at the State Criminal Intelligence
and Investigations Department, SCIID, Panti, Yaba,
Lagos.  He has been accused of participating in
3 different kidnappings of children.

He stated that his first operation was successful but
luck ran out on him on his 2nd attempt.  He was
arrested, arraigned in court and remanded in Kirikiri
prisons for about a year. But no sooner than he got
his freedom, he took to the same crime again, he
wasn't lucky the 3rd time either.

Ogunsawe said:

• “I am from Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State.  I am a National
  Diploma, Accounting student of Lagos State
  Polytechnic. I was arrested because I was involved in
  the kidnap of a young child of about four years from
  Amazing Grace Church in Palm groove area. I was
  introduced into kidnapping business by a friend
  called Olayinka.
  
  “I have known him for over six years.   It was
  Olayinka who came up with the kidnapping idea.   My
  role was to collect the ransom from the parents of
  the victim. This is not the first time we have engaged
  in kidnapping of little children.   In fact, I have
  engaged in three kidnappings.   The first one was
  successful while the last two were not.
  
  "I was arrested after the second kidnapping while
  attempting to cash the ransom at the bank but my
  friend Olayinka, escaped. I was in Kirikiri for almost a
  year before I was released. When I returned from
  prison, I was jobless when Olayinka came and lured
  me into it again.
  “Normally,  Olayinka goes into any church of his
  choice on Sunday morning, sits like a member inside
  the church and monitors the activities and movement
  of worshippers in the church.   When he is certain
  that he can lure a child out of the church premises
  unnoticed,  he quickly lures the child with biscuit or
  toys.  After successfully abducting the victims, he
  takes them to another big church located very far
  from the church where the children were kidnapped.
  
  We never killed or sold any child. We only keep the
  child for a day and ensure we get whatsoever ransom
  we need to get from the victim’s parents. We ensure
  that we get the ransom first thing on Monday
  morning before the child will be seen. He abandons a
  large envelope addressed to the pastor in the church
  with a phone number. Once they contact us through
  the number,   we send  bank details to the parents of
  the victim.
  
  “The first kidnap operation was in a Redeemed
  Christian Church in Shomolu area and it was
  successful.   We were paid N300,000 but Olayinka
  gave me N70,000 only, as he said we incurred some
  expenses, that was why he took the larger sum.
  Unfortunately,  the second operation was
  unsuccessful as I was arrested, arraigned in court
  and remanded in prison from June 2013 to January
  10 2014.
  
  Honestly,  I didn’t need anyone to tell me to stay away
  from crime after my release from the prison but I
  didn’t have a choice.   When I was released, I started
  squatting with my cousin, Akorede, in Akilo Street
  close to Lady-Lak area.  That was after I was ejected
  from the rented apartment where I lived because I
  was unable to pay the rent. My wife and son had to
  go live with her parents in Ota.
  
  “This last operation, Olayinka initially, asked the
  victim’s parents to pay N700,000 but, they said they
  will pay N250,000.  They later sent N3,000 airtime to
  Olayinka.   He transferred N1,500 to my line the next
  day after I confronted him for collecting the ransom
  behind me. Because I was broke, I transferred N750
  to my cousin Akorede, who I was squatting with.
  
  We used an old registered line of mine for the
  transaction.   It was that line that he used to transfer
  the air time to my main line.  It was through the
  transferred airtime that Akorede was arrested,
  unknown to me. It was through his sister, Jumoke,
  that   I was eventually arrested while I was sharing
  handbill.   Akorede and his sister Jumoke,  are
  innocent and know nothing about the kidnap.
  “I have a son who is about three years seven months
  old and I won’t want him to be kidnapped because I
  know the trauma we subject the families to when we
  kidnap their children. There was a time when I had to
  speak with the mother of the child we kidnapped.  I
  could feel her pain and broken heart from her voice.
  My wife doesn’t know that I am into kidnapping
  business. My mum is late but my father is alive.  He
  doesn’t care.  I am married and I am a tiler.
  To my wife, I am very sorry to put you through all this
  shame and disappointment. My family members are
  all disappointed.   No one has come to see me since I
  was arrested.
    Right now, I feel so bad about my actions, but I was
  so desperate to get out my unpleasant situation,”he
  stated.