From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
A 34-year-old man, Emmanuel Anthony, who was arrested by Osun State Police Command for alleged kidnapping, has confessed that he joined the crime after he was dismissed from the Nigerian Army.
The suspect, who claimed to have served Nigerian Army for over 14 years, admitted that he court martialled for misconduct, indiscipline and insubordination.
He said: “I was arrested on August 30, 2024. David (another dismissed soldier) and I kidnapped a young man who transferred money into an account. David later transferred N2 million to my account. The victim didn’t transfer money to me. The military paraphernalia are all mine. I bought the rank and put on it. David brought me for the operation from Ibadan to Esa-Oke in Osun State.
“I served in the Nigerian Army for 14 years, nine months. I went on foreign mission with the United Nations in 2014 under 35192 Battalion and went for a mission in the North East. I was court martialled for misconduct to the service, indiscipline, insubordination and desert.
“I was dismissed as corporal in January. I know I have committed an offence against the military and Nigeria and I hope I can be forgiven. This will not repeat itself again,” Anthony said.
The police spokesperson in the state, Yemisi Opalola, who paraded the suspects, stated that the suspect and one David Agbebaku had been robbing motorists around Esa-Oke and dispossessed them of their properties.
Opalola said: “Someone reported that unknown gunmen in military uniform came in a Honda Pilot Jeep, waylaid them and took them into a bush along Ekiti road. Subsequently, they forced the victim to transfer the sum of N3million from their bank account into one Moniepoint account before they were released.
“Similarly, one Olawumi Oluwaseun and Ishola , both male, were also attacked by the same armed gunmen and robbed them of their iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 respectively, valued at N1.25million before they were also freed.
“Having received this report, detectives from the Anti-kidnapping Squad through technical and intelligence analysis, identified the account name to belong to one David Agbebaku, who was later confirmed to have been already arrested by the Police in Oyo state.
“Further analysis led the detectives to the arrest of one Anthony Emmanuel in Ibadan. The suspect confessed to be a dismissed soldier and had conspired with David and two others who are also dismissed military men, to carry out the operations on the victims. The suspect was identified by the victims as one of the members of the armed robbery gang that perpetrated the offence.”