We did not rape, touch abducted girls – Kidnap kingpin confesses

Two hours after the three abducted female students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary (BMJS), Ikorodu, were rescued by the police, the kidnap kingpin, one Emmanuel Arigidi in an exclusive interview with THISDAY said they did not rape or beat the girls.

Asked on why they targeted and abducted the girls he said he could not readily explain, adding that while the girls were in their custody, they were not harmed.

He also told THISDAY that they attacked the school after they parked their seven canoes at the edge of Adama Creeks.

He said they escaped from the school using the canoes since the water was too shallow for their boats to ply on.

The suspect is at the moment being taken to the Lagos State Police Command by the Officer-in-charge of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (SIRT), ACP Abba Kyari.

To fast track the release of the girls, Arase had on Thursday deployed the Special Intelligence Response Team (SIRT) to compliment the efforts of the Lagos State Command.

On how the girls were released, a senior police officer, who spoke to THISDAY on anoymity, said Arigidi was arrested from Adama Creeks after he had came out to buy food.

The police source said they had earlier infiltrated the gang and mopped up their parents in a bid to force the hand of the kidnappers.

After Arigidi was arrested, one of fathers of two other gang members, who are still at large, was called in to speak with him and he gave them directions to the creeks.

When he got to the creeks, he was said to have appealed to their baser nature, while informing them that the police have arrested one of their gang members.

He also told them that if they dont release the girls, that the police had stationed their helicopters for aerial bombardment.

Seeing no other way out, the suspects quickly took the girls to Igbo-Okuta Bridge, Imota, dropped them their and called in anonymously.

The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, who slept at the area last night, quickly stormed the bridge and carted the girls away to safety.

The girls have since been taken away by their respective parents to be refreshed and consequently taken for medical tests. Thisday