By Evelyn Usman, ASABA, vanguard
The Delta State Police Command has smashed a kidnap gang that specialised in luring ladies through Facebook to gang rape and blackmail them.
Consequently, three suspected members of the syndicate, including a lady, have been arrested.
The syndicate’s modus operandi, as gathered, was to get acquainted with unsuspecting ladies on Facebook. Thereafter, they would invite the gullible victims to a hotel where they were allegedly drugged and gang-raped.
Not done, they would hold them hostage and demand ransom from their parents to secure their release.
The bubble burst after one of the ladies (names withheld) who was kidnapped on December 11, 2022, and released recognised one of the abductors on Monday.
She, subsequently, alerted policemen at Ufuoma Division, where she revealed that she was held hostage at a hotel in the Iwherekpokpor community, Ughelli North Local Government Area, by her abductors.
According to her, they took her nude pictures and recorded her on video while inserting a candle into her private part and used the video to blackmail her and her parents to pay a huge ransom.
Edafe said: “On receipt of this complaint, the DPO immediately detailed a combined team of Police detectives and Ekiugbo community vigilante who arrested one Cornelius Emene, 32, on January 2, 2023.
“During preliminary investigation, he made a useful statement that led to the arrest of two other suspects: Nelson Aghogho (aka Little) and Ufuoma Tunde, a female.
“He also gave an account of how they kidnapped another student of the School of Health and Technology, Ofuoma, Ughelli North Local Government Area
“The suspects’ phones contained numerous sex video recordings of their previous victims, which were also used to blackmail them and their parents. The three suspects are currently in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.”