Suspected Lagos kidnapper begs for mercy, says he spent ransom on children’s school fees, feeding

A suspected kidnapper, Tosin Oke, also known as “Old Soldier,” who was part of a gang that abducted an oil magnate on Ado Road in Ajah months ago, has revealed how he spent his share of the ransom on his children’s education and other household expenses, while expressing deep regret for his involvement in the crime.

Oke, who spoke in Pidgin English, recounted, “They gave me $1,700, and when I exchanged it at the Bureau De Change, I received N1.8 million. I used part of it for my children’s school fees, feeding, and saved the rest in my account. I regret getting involved in this; I’m not even sure if I was bewitched into joining them. I don’t understand how I became part of this.”

The oil magnate was at his dredging site when a six-man armed gang abducted him, taking him away in a speedboat to an undisclosed location via the waterways. The heavily armed kidnappers fired shots into the air to deter anyone from approaching them.

The victim’s family managed to raise N42 million, which they converted into $30,000 as demanded by the kidnappers, along with an additional N100,000 in cash. The ransom was delivered to the gang, but three of the kidnappers—Adelaja Ikuesan, 37, Tosin Oke, 40, and Oluwabunmi Yusuf, 39—were eventually apprehended in their hideout after dividing the ransom.

The suspects detailed the operation to Sunday Vanguard, expressing remorse and promising never to engage in criminal activities again if given a second chance.

Oke, who had been involved in bunkering and kidnapping for a long time, admitted that he had used his share of the ransom to address his family’s needs. He denied that the mansion he built in the Badagry area of Lagos was solely funded by his criminal activities, claiming that it was constructed with contributions from his family members.

“I honestly regret getting myself involved in this,” Oke said. “Even my family members questioned my involvement because they knew I had never been involved in anything like this before. I used to work as an agent for the police in Zone 2. What could have driven me to participate in something like this?”