The deadly kidnapper, Felix Sylva aka Tradition
A deadly kidnapper has been arrested by the police
while he was making love with his girlfriend. The man who is a member of the gang suspected to have abducted three girls from Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School (BMJSS), a private school in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, in February was arrested last Saturday.
He was identified as 37-year-old suspect Felix Sylva aka Tradition. He was arrested at Magboro area of Ogun State for participating in the abduction of a Chinese man. Sylva told our correspondent that he had been hiding since March after his accomplices were arrested.
He said: “After the abduction of the girls, I have kept a low profile in order not to be arrested by the police.
“I was dealing in logwood at Ebute-Meta before I was drafted into the operation of the kidnapping of the students by Elemoni, Million’s younger brother.
"Million was the leader of a gang of robbers who raided several banks on Admiralty Way, Lekki; Ikorodu in quick succession. He was later arrested after leading bank robberies at Agbara in Ogun State and FESTAC in Lagos.
"Elemoni said kidnapping business is more lucrative than selling wood and they also promised me N500,000 after the abduction. That attracted me.
“I was not familiar with the terrain of Ikorodu creeks. It was Elemoni who said his father used to take them through the canal that leads to the school fence.”
He further revealed how they planned their attacks. He said: “We never molested the girls, because it is a taboo to sleep with a woman in the creek.
"I was given N300,000 from the operation. I have participated in two other operations.
“I was told by the police that I had been on their wanted list after the kidnapping of the three girls, but I was arrested for another offence.”
The suspect said where he was hiding at Majidun also in Ikorodu, Amos Nuku aka Mosquito approached him to join them in the kidnapping of a Chinese man. Sylva said Nuku promised to give him N200,000 after collecting ransom from the family members.
He said: “I was in Igboolomu creek in Ikorodu when Amos approached me that the Chinese man he was working with was not treating him very well that I should come out and assist him in kidnapping the man.
“When police arrested Amos, he mentioned my name.
"That was why police came to arrest me. I was arrested on June 11, on Saturday, at my house where I was making love with my girlfriend.”
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspect yesterday, at the state Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja, said the death of former leader of robbery/ kidnap gang, TK, Sylva took over the leadership of the gang.
He said: “We are delighted to inform you that one of the gang of kidnappers that abducted three girls from Babington School has been arrested.”
