By Sampson Boroh
Two alleged notorious kidnapping lords in Bayelsa State have been arrested by the operatives of the Operation Puff Adder (OPA) for being responsible for the high wave of criminalities including kidnapping in the state.
Operation Puff Adder is a special force within the Bayelsa State Police Command aimed to tackle kidnapping in the state.
The two kidnapping leaders were identified as Nelson Waripamo popularly known as Mandela and, Jackson Dakolo.
The suspects, who hail from Gbarantoru community in Yenagoa local Government area of the state, were arrested last weekend during raids on their hideout by security operatives attached to OPA.
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It was gathered the Mandela, a father of three, was responsible for the abduction of a 38-year-old wife of Dr. Charlse Oyibo, a lecturer with Niger Delta University, Mrs. Orela, on May 26th.
The 34-year-old Mandela was said to have picked up quarrel with Dakolo over the sharing formula for the proceeds of ransoms they had allegedly collected from their kidnapped victims.
It was gathered that they collected between N5 million to N20 million before freeing their victims.
According to a police source, other suspected members of the gang including wanted boys from Azuzuama, Kokorose communities of Southern Ijaw and Okubie community in Rivers State.
It was further gathered that Dakolo, who is a notable socialite in Yenagoa, was arrested when he visited the OPA’s operational headquarters to secure the release of his cousin arrested for armed robbery.
“He was identified by one of the policemen for popping up on the police wanted list, was reportedly responsible for the 24th January abduction of a retired oil worker, Engr. Duncan Eke at St. Peter Anglican Church in Igbedi community of Southern Ijaw area of the State”, the police source added.
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The Dakolo-led gang shot the clergy of the Anglican church in the leg while escaping with their victim and latter shot Duncan in the leg for the reluctance of the family to pay up the N70 million he demanded.
‘After 21 days in the kidnappers den, and series of his nude pictures taken to blackmail the family, a sum of N20m was collected. N10 million paid by the family and N10 million paid by Duncan upon his release and in fulfillment of his promise to sell bonds saved in the bank’
It was also gathered that some of these kidnapping cases occurred before the setting up of the Operation Puff Adder led by DSP Christian Nwaogbo but the arrest made on cases of armed robbery of bank customers ,’have opened the cases and the puff adder has arrested the culprits’
Bayelsa State Police Command confirmed the arrest of the two suspects to NIGER DELTA TODAY on Wednesday.
The spokesman of the command, Asimin Butswat, while confirming the arrest, noted that the command will make details of the suspects to journalists in a later date.
