Nemesis has finally caught up with Nelson Eserada, a 400-level student of the Banking & Finance Department at Delta State University Abraka.
Eserada orchestrated his own kidnapping to extort a ransom of N50,000,000 in bitcoin.
Nelson was apprehended alongside his accomplice, Jerry Lawrence from Jeddo Community Warri, after his father had already paid N5 million ransom through a Bitcoin account belonging to Jerry.
The arrest followed a complaint from Nelson’s father to the Abraka Division, reporting his son’s kidnapping and the demand for N50,000,000 in bitcoin as ransom.
Jerry also sent a video of the victim tied and being tortured.
According to SP Bright Edafe, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, “the DPO Abraka SP Fabian Ayameh swiftly moved into action, embarked on a technical intelligence-led investigation and on 10/06/2024 at about 2000hrs, one Jerry Lawrence ‘M’ of Jeddo Community Warri was arrested in connection with the crime.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect conspired with the said Nelson Eserada, a 400 Level Student of Banking & Finance Department of the Delta State University Abraka and that the father had already paid the sum of Five Million and Two Hundred Thousand Naira ransom through a Bitcoin account belonging to the principal suspect Jerry Lawrence.
“The suspects are in custody and investigation is ongoing.”
In a separate incident, five suspects have been arrested in connection with house-to-house armed robbery incidents in Bonsaac, Okwe, and other areas in Asaba metropolis.
The suspects are John (25), Musa Suleiman (25), Abdullahi Jibril (20), Solomon Uchechukwu (24), Yusuf Joda (21), Egboka Chukwu Charles (21), and Wisdom Syvester (21).
Six additional suspects were arrested after the initial arrests, following confessions from the primary suspects.
During a search around the scene of their arrest, a bako bag containing a locally made cut-to-size gun and one live cartridge was recovered.
The Commissioner of Police Olufemi Abaniwonda posted a new divisional officer to B Division Asaba with a clear mandate to arrest the situation, in response to complaints of the robbery incidents received from residents in the area.
Consequently, on 08/06/2024 at about 0340hrs, the newly posted DPO CSP Edewor Akponegware received credible information from a concerned resident (name withheld) that he sighted some suspicious-looking boys around the Mango Tree Market and that they were armed.
“The suspects stated that they have been involved in a series of house-to-house armed robbery operations at Issele-Asagba, Coka, and Ibusa.”
