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.