My job was to drive gang members to victims’ homes; I got 1.5m naira, $10,000 – Arrested Kidnap Ringleader Ikechukwu Ewa Says

Suspected kidnapper John Ikechukwu Ewa aka ‘John Lion’ who was paraded by Bayelsa State Police Command today, September 26 shared details of his involvement in the crime.

Ewa was arrested over the weekend by members of Operation Puff Adder in Abuja and then transferred to Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, where he was paraded.

Parading the suspect and his accomplices to reporters today September 26, the state police commissioner said that on December 8 a certain Akeeb Oladele Olushola ‘m’ 48, a new generation bank manager, had been abducted from his residence at Old Commissioners Quarters Opolo. He was released on December 12 after paying a ransom of eighty (N80) million naira. He said similarly, Danjuma Omeje, 41, a manager of a new generation bank in Yenagoa, was abducted from his residence in Okaka, Yenagoa on June 30, 2022. He was later released on July 14, 2022 after being paid a ransom of 60 million naira – thirty (30) million naira in cash and the US dollar equivalent of thirty (30) million naira.

Ewa, who runs Lion Interior Hub as a cover for his criminal activities and is known for his lavish lifestyle and high spending in Yenagoa nightclubs, marched alongside three other members of his gang, Emmanuel Charles Angase, 37 years old from Azuzuma Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of ​​Bayelsa State, Innocent Kingsley, 31 years old, from Egbu Etche LGA Community, Rivers State, and a Timi Werikumo, 21 years old, from Azuzuama Southern Community Ijaw LGA, Bayelsa State. Other gang members are on the run.

Recounting his involvement in the crime, the 30-year-old native of Eruah community in Boki local government area in Cross River State said;

“I was involved in Danjuma’s kidnapping, I was unaware of the kidnapping, I was told they had a business together, I should just tell them where he lives. I’m there worked at the Bank as a cleaning lady, I left there in 2003.

I appreciate not being part of the gang, I was just misled. As a share of the ransom they gave me a dash of 1.5m Naira then I was given $10,000 by Emmanuel when I changed the money it was 7.5m Naira .

Lion is my name, it is the English translation of Ewa. I played the role of showing them Danjuma’s house. I had no role in Akin’s kidnapping, I only showed them his house that he is the former boss, I didn’t know they were kidnappers.

Also speaking, the leader of the gang, Emmanuel Charles Angase, a 37-year-old man from Azuzuma Southern Ijaw Local Government Area in Bayelsa State, said;

“I’m not the owner of the camp, I can’t really get the exact date but last year we did a kidnapping but I wasn’t the leader, I wasn’t even the one who brought the work but it turns out that I was the driver’ then this year we did another kidnapping but the one last year was Akim then Danjuma, they are the only two.

What I was told is 45m naira for Danjuma, then I was told Akin paid 80m naira, they were taken to Sunikiri Creek area. I’m not the boss, the kidnapping boss is Bale, I don’t know where he is.