‘I Kidnap My GF To Raise Money For Our Wedding’

A 24-year-old man, Michael Duda, has said he kidnapped his teenage girlfriend to raise money for their wedding.

Michael, paraded with 104 suspects arrested for kidnapping, rape, robbery and cultism, at the headquarters of Edo State Police Command, said the girl just finished secondary school and there was no way he could approach her parents for marriage.

Addressing reporters yesterday, Michael said he kept the girl in his home for four days and asked her father to pay N2 million ransom.

The suspect, who said he sells cups, admitted that he had sex with the girl throughout the four days.

“I live at Ekae, off Sapele Road. She came to my house. We planned to collect money from her father to raise money for our wedding, but I did not collect the money again. She stayed in my home for four days.

“I couldn’t tell the father I want to marry his daughter. She said her father will not agree because she is yet to gain admission to a university. She was with me for four days. The father said he had no money. I was at home with my lover when the police came to arrest me.”

The girl said they met on Facebook and after days, she visited him.

She said she was surprised that Michael abducted her when she got to his home, adding that she learnt he demanded N4 million ransom from her father.

The teenager’s elder sister, Rodha, said her sister was sexually abused before the police rescued her.

Three suspects, who allegedly killed Prof. Paul Otasowie, of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Benin (UNIBEN), were also paraded.

The don was killed on October 4 in his home at Evbuotubu in Egor Local Government.

They are Osaze Oghogho, Best Ogumode and Happy Okoro.

The suspects said they never intended to kill Prof. Otasowie, but to snatch his car and use it for robbery.

They claimed he was mistakenly shot when he rushed at Osaze, who held a gun.

Addressing reporters, Police Commissioner Babatunde Kokumo said the suspects would soon be arraigned.

He listed the recovered items to include five AK 47 rifles, military weapons, 33 cut to size guns, motorcycles, 90 live AK 47 ammunition, 234 live cartridges, vehicles and N1.2 million.