LASPOTECH student regains freedom after being kidnapped on his way from school

Marvelous Omobobola, a kidnapped undergraduate of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), has regained his freedom.

Omobobola, the 28-year-old student, was returning to his hostel in Odogunyan, Ikorodu area of Lagos State, from the school, where he went to sign a Students' Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) form, when the assailants kidnapped him.

Narrating how he was abducted, the undergraduate said the tricycle operator was conveying him and other passengers to their destinations in Odogunyan when he suddenly veered into a street to avoid the traffic ahead.

According to him, the tricycle operator was navigating the street to link the expressway when he suddenly parked beside a bus located near a bush.

Omobobola said while he and other passengers were lamenting the abrupt stop beside a bush around 5:00pm on Saturday, November 19, 2022, some armed men stepped out of the vehicle, pounced on them and whisked them away.

“They drove us into the bush where some people visited to price us like goats. Some people among my group were taken away into a room where they were killed and well-dressed people came with coolers for their body parts,” the student added.

Revealing how he was freed, Omobobola said “when we were told to take off our clothes, one of the kidnappers saw the Celestial Church crucifix on my waist and he put me aside. He asked me what the crucifix was for and I told him I am from a celestial family.

“He then returned my phone and told me to call my people to pay a ransom for me before their leader, one Alhaji, comes. He said when their leader returns, he would not be able to help me because Alhaji procures human parts for politicians and other people. He said I would be killed if he found me there.”

He added that the kidnappers used his phone to reach his mum, as they demanded N700,000 ransom.

The mother of the victim, Ronke, was said to have negotiated her son’s release with the assailants, as she paid N100,000 into Omobobola’s bank account for his release.

Confirming the incident, Lagos police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin assured that the assailants would soon be arrested.