Governor, Adams Oshiomhole
Three members of a gang that kidnapped the wife, daughter and driver of a judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, in May, this year, were among the seven suspects paraded by the State Security Service (SSS) in Benin City, Tuesday. The Rhodes-Vivour family was held captive for 18 days by their captors.
The other suspects paraded were three extortionists who threatened to kill their victim if he didn’t pay up and a musician who was paraded for trafficking in persons.
Edo State Director of SSS, Mr. Bello Bakori, who paraded the suspects before the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, and media men said the suspects had confessed to the crime and that three members of the kidnappers’ gang who abducted the judge’s family members were still at large.
He said Mrs. Rhodes-Vivour and her daughter were kept in a house in Upper Sakpoba area of Benin City from where the suspects were arrested. All the kidnap suspects are from Delta State while the trafficker in persons hails from Edo State.
Oshiomhole, who was visibly miffed that despite government’s warning that landlords should screen their tenants to ensure that their properties are not used by criminal elements, said the buildings used by the suspects to hold the judge’s wife, daughter and driver would be demolished at the appropriate time.
“For the landlords, we have already made the decision that anyone that aids and abets kidnapping will have his structure demolished. Any hotelier who does not follow the instruction of documenting who stays in their hotel, and such are used for kidnapping or human trafficking, we will demolish it. Nobody has the right to make money out of the pains of Nigerians,” he said.
Oshiomhole expressed joy that the security agencies were able to arrest the gang that kidnapped the wife and daughter of the Supreme Court justice, saying: “This is a major breakthrough. What is important is for criminals to know that there is no more immunity.
It is a matter of when, not whether, they would be caught; and the
officers and men are determined to do their best and those involved in
crime would be brought to justice.”
He said: “Majority of these criminals, 95 per cent of them are from Delta State. It shows in this business of crime, criminals are very mobile. No state can find a solution as they keep moving from one state to the other. When their colleagues hear that they have been put on trial, they would look elsewhere.”
To the public, the governor warned: “This is something that people should take into account, that your own relation may well be the source of your problem. Your own cook may well be the source of your problem; your guard may well be the source of your problem. All of us need to be careful and not take anything for granted.
“The lesson from this effort is that when we report to law enforcement agents, they (criminals) can be arrested, but when we pay ransom, then we are providing additional incentives for the criminals to remain in business.
“Every ransom we pay is an opportunity for them to do more. For me, the message is clear: we must resist paying ransom. We must take law enforcement agencies into confidence. We must trust them.
“Let me use this opportunity to appeal to our parents that we must watch over our children, particularly our daughters. As we heard from one of those arrested, this business is to attract unsuspecting young girls into travelling with all kinds of lousy promises.
“In their innocence, they submit and they take them across the borders and then the girls face all kinds of dehumanising experiences.”
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