Some suspected kidnappers, said to have been terrorising some states in the South-East and South-South parts of the country, are currently in hot soup.

The Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Imo State Police Command recently arrested a 31-year-old man alleged to be a notorious kidnapper, Terry Mex along with members of his gang.

Until recently, Terry Mex led a kidnap gang that has kidnapped and raped over 15 female victims in Delta and other states, even as they collected ransom amounting to millions of naira ransom from the relatives of their victims.

Other members of the gang, as gathered, include William Ebefal, 21, and Augustine Trishaye, also 21. Both are from Delta State.

One of their victims was Alafule Concilia Oluebube, 22. She was abducted on July 3, 2021.

As gathered, Terry Mex had met Alafule on Facebook and told her he was a movie producer. He said he wanted to engage her as a make-up artist in a new film. She was subsequently kidnapped. He demanded a N3.5 million ransom, but the victim’s relatives could only pay N150, 000 as well as another N15, 000 purportedly “for her feeding.” Yet the gang kept the victim.

Her uncle, Mr Eze Amadi said he subsequently reported the case at the Imo State Police headquarters in Owerri.

“The kidnappers were threatening us on the phone that they were going to kill our daughter even as they kept demanding more money from us,” Amadi said.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Abutu Yaro told Saturday Sun that he ordered the Anti-Kidnapping Commander, Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa, a Superintendent of Police, and his operatives to storm the hideout of the kidnappers. Alafule and other victims were subsequently rescued on July 23 from the kidnappers’ den in the forest at Begbe Waterside, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.

Yaro said Terry Mex and his syndicate were using Facebook to lure various female victims, with whom they would be chatting for months, pretending to be filmmakers. They would then invite the ladies to be part of the production. Terry would send N4, 000 or N5, 000 transport fare to the ladies. Once they met with Terry or his gang members, the ladies would be abducted.

“The female victims would visit the location where his syndicate members would receive them and lure them inside the bush, kidnap them and blindfold them. They would be taken to the forest in Bomadi.

The commissioner said Terry Mex and his boys also tried the same tactics on another lady, 24-year-old Chimaza Nkwerka. It was through her that the police nabbed Terry mex and other members of his gang.

Narrating her experience to Saturday Sun, Alafule said: “I am a student of Alvian Ikoku Federal College of Education where I am studying Political Science. I am in 400 level.

“I met Terry Mex on Facebook in June 2021. We started chatting together and he told me that he was a film producer. I was interested and he asked me to come for the shoot on July 3. So, 1 left Owerri for Asaba in Delta State. I went to Ughelli and he told me that one of his boys would pick me up at Bomadi Park. I arrived there around 9.00pm. One of his gang members, William Ebefal, came and received me. We took a lonely path. Immediately the bike dropped me, they started using a cutlass to flog me, even threatening to kill me. They collected my bag, my phone and my ATM card.

“They took me inside the forest and I entered the boat and they blindfolded me. I was unconscious. They started asking me questions about my parents and what my parents do for a living. The gang leader, Terry Mex came to me and raped me four times. They removed my sim card and destroyed the phone. They put my sim card inside their phone and used it to call my parents.

“It was my mother who picked the call. The gang leader Terry Mex told me that I should lie to my parents that I was kidnapped in Owerri along Bank Road, which I did. I spent two weeks and two days in their den. They asked my parents to pay them N3.5million ransom. Later, my parents paid N500,000 and N15,000 for my feeding. I was unconscious when police operatives came to rescue me in the forest on July 23. I was taken to the Police Clinic in Owerri for medical treatment.”

Chinaza Nkwerka also spoke with Saturday Sun. her words: “I am into business and I hail from Imo State. Terry Mex had been chatting with me on Facebook. Then he told me to come over to Ughelli and he sent me N4,000 for transportation. I suspected him and warned him. He begged me and he stopped calling me. Then on July 8, 2021 around 11.00pm, a lady called me and told me that Terry Mex give her my number. She said Terry Mex told her that I am good in make-up, and that they would shoot a movie on July 13.

“She kept calling me that they needed me on the day of their film production. I gave them an appointment for July 18. But before I left, police operatives came to my house and arrested me. It was through me that Terry Mex was arrested.”

“The suspect Terry Mex told Saturday Sun that he dropped out from Oko Polytechnic where he was studying Business Administration. He said he had been ‘working’ as a kidnapper with some others since 2020.

“I became a kidnapper through John Ebefal. I have kidnapped and raped over 15 female victims who I met through Facebook. I met Alaefule Concilia Oluebube on Facebook. Like she said, I told her I was the CEO of Omega Movies Production and convinced her to work for me. I sent her N5000 for transport. She arrived at Bomadi Park in Ughelli, and I sent one of my gang members, William Ebefal to receive her. I deceived her that she was going to be my make-up artist. We then kidnapped her, blindfolded her and threatened to kill her. In all, her parents sent N150,000 and another N15,000 for her upkeep. But we didn’t release her as we were waiting for more money from her parents.

“It was during this period I started chatting with Chiamaka Nkwerka also on Facebook. I also deceived her that I wanted to hire her as a make-up artist. I sent her N4, 000 for transport. I wanted to kidnap her if she had come. It was while waiting for her that police operatives arrested me on July 23 in the forest in Bomadi.

Another suspect, William Ebefal corroborated Terry’s narration.

Mrs. Osuji Alaefule, mother of Alaefule Concilia Oluebube expressed gratitude to God that her daughter was not killed.

“It was on July 3, 2021 that my daughter called me to say that she had been kidnapped. I heard the way the kidnappers were threatening to kill her. The kidnappers demanded a N3.5 million from us. I started pleading, the kidnappers demanded N15,000 for her feeding which we sent. Later we sent them N150,000 yet they didn’t want to release my daughter. They wanted more money.”

CP Yaro said the anti-kidnapping operatives have raided all the hideouts of the kidnappers in Bomadi Waterside in Delta state. The suspects will soon charge to court, he assured. (Text excluding headline courtesy Saturday Sun)

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