Man Pressured by Family to Marry Lands in Police Net After Joining Kidnap Gang to Raise N2.5m Bride Price

A 37-year-old man who turned to violent crime in a desperate bid to fund his wedding and settle down has landed in police detention after participating in the abduction of a businesswoman in Lagos State.

The suspect, Oluwatomi Obosi, also known as Tommy, was paraded alongside his accomplices, Semi Buawe and Bamure Telemowei, by the Lagos State Police Command following their arrest at a hideout in Agadagba, located within the Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State. The syndicate had specialized in cross-border operations, planning abductions in Ondo, striking targets across Lagos communities, and retreating to the creeks after collecting ransoms.

Recounting his descent into crime, Obosi told investigators that his troubles began when his mother and grandfather repeatedly urged him to find a decent woman, marry, and take on adult responsibilities. In a bid to honor their wishes, he returned to his hometown in Ondo State and proposed to a local lady. However, the relationship hit an unexpected turn when the woman insisted he obtain formal approval from her elder sister.

It was during this family introduction that Obosi crossed paths with the sister’s husband, a notorious underworld operative identified simply as “ID”. Upon discovering that Obosi resided in Lagos, the ringleader recruited him into the gang, assigning him the role of translating Yoruba during kidnappings in exchange for a handsome cut to bankroll his impending wedding. Obosi admitted that he pocketed ₦2.5 million from the venture, believing it would finance his marriage and start a new life, only to find his dreams dashed behind bars.

Detectives revealed that the gang had invaded the Ijedodo axis of Lagos with no pre-selected target, randomly picking a luxurious duplex and ambushing the businesswoman as she arrived home. When a bystander attempted to intervene, the armed gang fired warning shots into the air, forced the woman into the nearby bush, and drained ₦150,000 from her bank accounts using a mobile point-of-sale terminal while food supplies ran out.

The syndicate held the woman captive in the thickets for three days, demanding a massive sum before eventually releasing her upon receiving ₦21 million in cash, accompanied by bizarre ancillary demands including a bottle of schnapps, a power bank, and a kilogram of frozen turkey.

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the development, stating that operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit acted on actionable intelligence to track the syndicate across state lines. Adebisi added that detectives have intensified efforts to track down the fleeing mastermind, warning that all individuals involved in cross-state criminal syndicates will be rooted out and brought before the courts to face justice.