Joy Anyim
A notorious cultist, identified as Gift Tasie, wanted for the suspected kidnap of the daughter of a Rivers State based Magistrate (name withheld), has been arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police, Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
The 22-year-old suspect, who was said to be a member of the Icelander confraternity had, alongside his other gang members, now at large, invaded the Rumuagholu home of the magistrate sometime in April 2020, robbed the magistrate, and abducted his daughter.
It was learnt that while the abductors had contacted the family, demanding a ransom of N10 million, the abducted girl had miraculously escaped from her abductors few days after.
On how the suspect was arrested, a police source at the IRT annex office in Rivers State, said that they had received complaint about the alleged crime.
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The source said during investigation, the suspect was tracked to his home and arrested, while operatives are still on the trail of the other gang members.
“While recounting the horrifying incident, the magistrate told the police that about four armed men accessed his home through the roof at the back at about 3:00am.
“Three of them who were armed with guns ordered him and his entire family to lie faced down.
“They blindfolded them and tied their hands and legs together. They then took time to raided the house of every available valuables including phones , money, jewelries , electronic devices, cloths and shoes.
“The magistrate said the invaders spent more than an hours scouting for valuables before packing all they got inside one of his cars and abducted his 25-year-old daughter. “They also withdrew N100,000 from his abducted daughter’s account through her ATM.
“On the second day, the suspects contacted the magistrate and demanded N10million as ransom.
“They started negotiating and the kidnappers who refused to accept the amount offered switched off their phone, with a promise to call back the next day.
“Luckily, his daughter escaped and ran back home, ” the source said.
On how the abducted girl managed to escape, the magistrate had told the police that her daughter was on her monthly menstrual cycle at the time she was picked.
While she wriggled in pain, the suspects it was learnt, had gone in search of something to make her feel better, this gave the girl room to escape.
“She cried begging her abductor to help her get relief over the pain she was experiencing which they offered to buy her a bottle of Chelsea hard drink.
“One of the kidnappers volunteered to go to town and buy it and when he wasted a lot of time, the second person decided to go and check on her.
“The only one left to guard her after waiting for another 30 minutes also decided to quickly check on the others.
“On sensing that she was alone in the forest, she started screaming and when no one heard her, she started praying, shouting the name Jesus and promised herself that if after shouting the name Jesus about 100 times, she will try to escape.
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“After some minutes, she untied herself and started running back to the road, where a good Samaritan gave her transport fare back home.
“She told her father that she was held at Rukpokwu forest in Obi Akpor Local Government Area,” the source also added.
Making confessional statement, the suspect, a native of Emohua Local Government of Rivers State, said that he watched the area, while the other gang members attacked the family.
Tasie said: “I am an orphan, and I dropped out of school as soon my parents died. It was because I needed to survive that was why I joined the gang led by one Igwe Ihekazi. He started by initiating me into their cult group known as Icelander.
“On the day of the incident, I joined them at an agreed location at Omagwa. When I got there, Ihekazi, Ibuchi, Bright and Sampson Aaron were already on ground with their guns.
“We drove to the house and I was only given a machete to hold and watch out for vigilante boys. After about an hour, they drove out with another car and inside the car was girl.
“When we got to the bush, they shared all the valuables that was gotten and I was given N10,000 and a wrapper.
“I was asked to go home because I live with my sister, saying that if she does not see me in more than 24 hours she could raise an alarm.
“When I called them the next day, they told me that they asked the family to pay N4 million. I was waiting to be called to collect my share, but they called to say that the girl had escaped. I wanted to use my share of the money to start a business. ”
The suspect begged to be pardoned, insisting poverty led him to crime.
