In recent times, Ore, a town in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, boasting about 300,000 residents has been rocked by the notoriety of a criminal syndicate, headed by one Aboyeji Olusola John popularly known as Shola Eleja that prides on kidnapping activities for mouthwatering ransoms.
In fact, the nefarious gang, at times cunningly acts as a negotiator between unsuspecting kidnap targets and some of its members who played the script of abductors. The notorious gangsters would approach their soft targets, claiming they received credible intelligence that some persons are plotting to kidnap them and promised to use their goodwill and societal influence to avert the already perfected abduction plan on the soft targets provided such targets were ready to negotiate with his or her prospective kidnappers through them. A lot of unsuspecting targets had fallen for such heinous plots on several occasions.
Our correspondent who travelled to Ore Town for a fact-finding exercise accosted some of the victims who narrated their bitter experiences in the hands of Shola Eleja and members of his criminal gang.
“Very early in the morning, I was in my house when I received a phone call from Aboyeji Olusola John popularly called Shola Eleja he said he would like to see me, as soon I dropped the call, I decided to meet him, so I put a call through to him to inform him of my availability at the moment but he said he couldn’t have such discussion with me outside, saying he would prefer we talk in my house. So, I agreed and he came to my house. During the discussion, he told me how he went to Okitipupa for a meeting and when he excused himself from the meeting to ease himself he met some guys on his way back to the meeting and they asked him to buy them some drinks and out of generosity, he obliged. More so, when he was about leaving, they stopped him and told him they would like to payback the favor he rendered to them. Therefore, they brought out some pictures including mine too and he was told that those were the pictures of the people they intended to kidnap. Suddenly, I became panic and asked if he knew those guys but he replied in the negative. Shola revealed that they only respected him because of the favour he rendered them. He then advised me to give them whatever they demanded so that they would give up their plan to kidnap me.
“On the 11th of November, 2020, at exactly 2am, I heard some people scaling through my fence, they knocked on my door telling me to open it but I refused. Unfortunately, they saw a mortar in my compound and they broke my door with it. They beat my with every annoyance in them, leaving me with a severe injury in my leg, complaining that I stressed them. After that, they took ₦600,000 in my house. About 20 minutes later, they came back and requested my car keys which I gave them. Again, after some minute they came back and told me they actually came to rob and kidnap me. That was how they blindfolded me and took me to a secluded area more like a forest. The kidnappers asked me to call my family to inform them that I have been kidnapped and they should start sourcing for ransom to get me released. I wasn’t allowed to speak with my family for two days but the kidnappers kept negotiating with them.
Stitches in the victim’s leg as a result of the severe beating by the kidnap suspects
“I was served bread but I refused to eat anything until I was freed (as a Christian, I decided to fast and pray to God). The kidnappers came back on the 3rd day, lodging complaint that my family had refused to cooperate and they would kill me. I was given a phone to call my people and ask to meet the kidnappers demands so as to safe my life. After finding agreement with my family. They eventually released me on the 6th day. I was informed by my family that they paid ₦10million in ransom to secure my release.
“I was admitted into the hospital where I received medical treatment for about three days. After my discharge from the hospital, I went to make a report at the police station and the police really did their job as my car was retrieved. After some days, I got a call from the police that some kidnappers had been apprehended, immediately I went straight to the DPO’s office and the kidnap suspects were brought out. I was shocked to see Shola Eleja and one Adeniyi Yemi Alaba popularly known as Small among them but I can’t recognize the other two.
“After thorough interview, Shola Eleja confessed that he instructed them to kidnap me. With deep emotions, I asked him what my offence was but he attributed it to devil, seeking my forgiveness. The case was then transferred to Ondo State High Court, Akure for adjudication. The case has been adjourned 3 times and he was released at the 4th hearing on medical ground. I am thereby pleading to the state government of Ondo to let justice prevail.
“They have already secured bail for Shola Eleja and also trying to get fake medical certificate of Small in order to bail him too. But lawyer and the Police have discovered that the certificate issued by Dr. Oluwakayode B.A of University of Medical Science Teaching Hospital, Ondo State is fake,” he noted.
Fake medical report secured by the counsel to Adeniyi Yemi Alaba aka Small to get him administrative bail
Investigation report into the validity of Small’s medical report.
Police report annulling Small’s medical report
Femi Emmanuel, another kidnap victim also told our reporter how he fell into the trap of Shola Eleja and his notorious boys
“My name is Femi Emmanuel Joseph, I was kidnapped in the month of December, 2021. They forced their way into my house in the middle of the night. At first, I thought they were robbers because I work at a block industry and I kept a sum of ₦1.8million in my house. They searched every corner of my house but they couldn’t find the money. My family and I were beaten mercilessly, they asked for my car keys which I gave them. I was squeezed into the car and they drove me out. One of the kidnappers realized the operation was incomplete because they intended to take my small phone (I kept it right close to the money). So, they drove back to my house, in the course of searching for my small phone they found the money and was beaten again for lying to them.
“They took me away and locked me up for 5 days. They asked my family to pay a ransom of ₦50million but after a prolonged negotiation, they eventually agreed on ₦4million. I was then released and got admitted in the hospital, after I got discharged from the hospital, I went to make a report at the police station and I was told to write a statement, I retrieved my car and that was how my case died down without any hearing at the court.
A female victim who declined to reveal her identity also narrated her ordeals
“I am one of the kidnap victims. At Ore on the 13th of January, 2021 at 9:55pm, some people knocked at our door, I even thought it was one of the villagers, so I opened the door. They told me they wanted to buy blocks from my husband. There were four of them holding guns, as a result, I started having suspicion. Immediately, I told them to allow me get my husband as I was about going back in, they dragged me into their car, saying they would me drive to Benin. I had no cloth on me except the pant and wrapper I tied around my chest. I pleaded with them to allow me go back in so they can get whatever they needed from my husband. They refused and claimed my husband was owing them a sum of ₦50million and once he pays back they would release me. We started the journey to Benin, I was blindfolded with a black piece of cloth. As we were going, they stopped on the way, brought me down from the car, two of the kidnappers were holding me left and right, we proceeded into one forest, where the black cloth they used to cover my face was removed. They pointed a torch light to my face and again, told me that I had been kidnapped and once my husband pays them I will be released.
“We were in the forest for 3 days. On the fourth day there was a heavy rainfall and we were all drenched. The kidnappers covered me with a net and a bedsheet. On the night of the fourth day, they said they would take me to Portharcourt because my husband had refused to cooperate with them and I would be left there until my husband pays back. The journey continued until they stopped at a house, I was kept in a room where there was no light, they gave me three square meals every day but most times I only take breakfast.
“On the 14th day, after serious pleas from my husband they decided to accept a sum of ₦8million, knowing the financial status of my husband, I pleaded that my husband would not be able to afford that amount of money, they said they would take me back to the forest and tie me to a tree. The leader of the gang showed up and requested my uncle’s contact which I gave to him. After all the pleading and negotiation, they agreed to collect a sum of ₦4million.
“On the 17th day my uncle who resides in the North came down to my husband’s place and they both started sourcing for the ransom. The leader of the kidnappers was with me in the room, he asked if banks work till 4pm because he was yet to receive a credit alert from my husband. He went out and brought pineapple for me but I refused to eat it. Then he said if I refuse to eat it he won’t tell me why he was offering it to me, as a result, I collected the pineapple and kept it on the floor. Then, he told me he got a call that the ransom has been completed. He left and came back around 8pm and told me his boys had gone to get the money, I was relieved a little and then I asked if he would release me that night, he said no that I would be released the next day.
“At about 5am the next day, I knocked on the door of the room where I was kept in order to communicate with them, I asked if they would release me, but he told the road was not safe so they couldn’t risk taking me back. He told me to calm down until 10pm. He came back at about 10pm and told me to sit on the bed, I asked him why, he said they are ready to leave. So, I followed his words as he tied my legs together with a rope, blindfolded me. They took me into the car and we started the journey, it was a really long journey and one of them instructed the driver to stop at a Winner Chapel and that was how they dropped me at the church after removing the blindfold and untying the rope on my legs. So, I found my way home from the unknown destination and reconnected with my family members in Ore.”
