Tobias Sylvester
Bayelsa State Police Command has paraded a 36-year-old suspected kidnapper, John Lyon Ewa, who is known for known flaunting his wealth on social media.
John Lyon Ewa Paraded
KanyiDaily had reported how the suspect who is known in Bayelsa for living a lavish lifestyle in clubs and bars, was arrested in Abuja.
Ewa was said to have been arrested by officers of operation Puff Adder following the kidnap of Danjuma Emeije, a bank manager in Yenagoa.
The kidnap suspect was transferred to Yenagoa where he was paraded alongside three members of his gang.
While being paraded on Monday, the police said that on December 8, one Akeeb Oladele Olushola ‘m’ 48, a Manager of a new generation Bank, was kidnaped at his residence at Old Commissioners Quarters Opolo. He was released on the 12th December after paying a ransom of Eighty (N80) Million Naira.
Similarly, Danjuma Omeje, 41, a Manager of a new generation Bank in Yenagoa was kidnaped at his residence at Okaka, Yenagoa, on 30th June 2022. He was later released on 14th July 2022 after paying a ransom of 60 million naira – thirty (N30) Million Naira cash and US Dollar equivalent of thirty (N30) Million Naira.
The police commissioner said following a detailed investigation, the ring leader of the kidnap syndicate, Emmanuel Charles Angase ‘m’ 37 years, a native of Azuzuama Community, Southern Ijaw LGA, was arrested.
The police boss said Angase operates a kidnapping camp at Sunikiri creek near Oluasiri in Nembe Local Government Area with his second in command, one Gbalipre Gamage, now at large. Police operatives recovered a brand new Toyota Avalon he bought for his wife with the proceed of ransom he collected.
”The gang leader Emmanuel Charles Angase has confessed that on 30th June 2022 at about 0600 hours, himself, John Ewa and others at large accosted Danjuma Omeje at the entrance of his house at Okaka, kidnap him and fled in a Blue Toyota Corolla Car with REG NO KJA 225 AY.”
He mentioned that the second suspect, John Ikechukwu Ewa ‘m’ 30 years aka John Lion, a native of Eruan Community in Boki LGA, Cross River State, is known for a flamboyant lifestyle on Social Media. He said Ewa is a former cleaner with a new generation bank, and has confessed to having collected Ten (10) Thousand US Dollars from the ransom collected in the kidnap of Danjuma Omeje.
John Lyon Ewa Confesses
Speaking during the parade on Monday, Ewa said he is not part of the kidnap syndicate, adding that his mother was in the hospital during the operation.
The suspected kidnapper, however, admitted that he was given N1.5 million to identify the house.
He said, “I’m not part of it [operations], I was misled to show them where this person is. I wasn’t involved in it.”
“I’m not in the business [kidnap], I didn’t approach Danjuma, I only went there to open an account.”
Ewa also admitted that he was given N3.5 million for the kidnap of another victim identified as Hakeem.
“I didn’t play any role in Hakeem’s kidnap, I just showed them his house. We were driving and I pointed to the house. It was my former boss’s house, that was it,” he added.
His alleged accomplice, who was identified as Emma, claimed that Ewa approached him and other gang members with the proposal to kidnap Hakeem and Danjuma.
He said, “He is lying. I didn’t give him money, it wasn’t me that gave him money. I don’t know those people from anywhere. He is the one that worked with them, I don’t know anything about them.
“He was the one that brought the Hakeem and Danjuma jobs. If anyone can reason, someone that brought a job would have more money than any other person, so why is he lying?
“He brought the job…. [saying] that they sacked him from work and they have money, so let’s kidnap them. Heaven knows I know nothing about those people.”
This comes a few days after Billionaire kidnapper Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment for kidnapping.
