Sambisa Forest In Lagos!

•Oniba of Iba kept in one of the camps during abduction
•Owners of property flee after series of abduction

By Evelyn Usma

The name Sambisa forest, does not only ring a bell in Nigeria on a negative note. It also elicits cold shivers down the spine of anyone who has had an encounter with it- be he a Military man, victim of terrorists held hostage in the forest or residents within its location in the southern part of Bornu state, majority of whom have been rendered widows, orphans, fatherless and homeless.

While Nigerians are smarting from the seeming relief orchestrated by the invasion of the forest by the Military and the resultant rescue of hostages as well as arrest of some suspected terrorists, another Sambisa Forest has been uncovered. This time around, it is not located in Bornu but strategically in Lagos state.

Investigation by  Crime Guard  revealed that the expanse of land with swampy terrain sits precariously at the vast expanse of land covered with thick forest from Amuwo-Odofin end. It has boundaries with Festac Town , Agboju, Abule Ado, Trade fair , down to Iba and stretches from the Isheri Osun town end to white sand, Alfa white sand , Ijedodo , Igando , Ijegemo down to Totowu in Ogun state and beyond. Inside the marshy expanse of land exists make shift camps used as dens by different kidnap gangs. There are at least 13 camps manned by different kidnap kingpins.

These kidnappers whose brazen display of inhuman treatment has assumed an alarming dimension as well as a perennial problem in Nigeria, come out of their dens , to kidnap unsuspecting Lagosians and take same to their camps, from where they contact relatives of victims, demanding for ransom for their release.

Different forms of kidnapping

Investigation revealed that there are different forms of kidnappings in Lagos Sambisa forest. From the 6th and 7th Avenues , Festac Town for instance, there are two major types of kidnapping known as waterside and land kidnapping. For the waterside form of kidnapping, this is perpetrated by militants allegedly from Ondo state. Their modus oparandi include storming an area in their operational speed boats. Thereafter, they would announce their presence with sporadic shootings, apparently to destabilize and frighten their defenseless victims. While some of them would continue with the shooting, others would go for their victims who are picked at random.

After a successful operation, the victims would be taken into the speed boats and navigated through the river channel connecting Agboju, Abule-Ado, Iba , down to Igando, all in Lagos state and Totowu in Ogun state, where victims are kept until ransom is paid for their release. The distance between the point of abduction and kidnappers den, as gathered, takes at least two to three hours boat ride.

Among numerous victims abducted by these waterside kidnappers, was a first class traditional ruler, Oba Yushau Goriola Oseni, the Oniba of Ibaland, last July .

The armed kidnappers who threw caution to the dogs and a glaring noxious desecration of the traditional crown, stormed the monarch’s palace in Iba penultimate night, killing his guard and shooting one of his wives, before dragging him into their waiting speed boat.

Oba Oseni spent 21 days at the abductors den at Ijegemo before he was released. This was however, not without payment of N15.1 million as ransom, as later revealed by two suspected members of the kidnap gang that were arrested by the Police. The payment, as disclosed by the suspects, was made twice, with an initial payment of N12 million and an additional N3.1 million which were dropped at Igbehinadun waterside .

Another form of kidnapping obtained in forest is known as land kidnapping. Abducted victims, in this case, are taken to uncompleted buildings which takes three hours walk from 6th  avenue , where they would remain until ransom is paid. For this form, victims are usually blindfolded, with their two legs tied with strings, apparently to prevent them from possible escape, unlike the waterside form where victims are untied.

They operate in bushes around 6th  and 7th  avenue in Festac town, white sand and Alfa white sand, all in Isheri Osun, a Lagos suburb and sometimes, around part of Ijedodo and Ijegemo.

Perpetrators of land kidnap are discovered not to handle sophisticated arms like their counterparts at the waterside.

In this case also, members of the gang are usually skeptical of movement of strange persons around their dens, as they suspect that they could either be spies or security agents who are on their trail.

Choice of victims

Another intriguing aspect of this crime is the choice of victims. Investigation showed that the rampant cases of kidnap in Festac Town were not unconnected with kidnappers choice. This is because they assume that victims abducted from Festac Town, generate higher ransom, as it is considered a seemingly high brow area.

Checks by this reporter revealed that kidnappers collect nothing less than N2 million as ransom from relatives of victims considered to be poor, while N5 million and above is received as ransom from those considered rich.

But same could not be said for victims abducted in Isheri Osun, Ijegun and White sand axis, whose relatives usually part with ransom between N100,000 and N300,000

In fact, parents of one of the abducted victims, (names withed) stated that their abducted son was dropped at a waterside around Odo Igando area, after spending close to a month in the kidnappers den, without any dime paid for his release.

During negotiation, father of the victim said he pleaded with his abductors to allow his son wash plates and engage in other chores as ransom. He expressed shock on receiving a telephone call to come and pick his son whom he said was released alongside another victim. This explains why kidnappers operate at any given time at the 6th  and 7th avenue.

Owners of property flee

A visit to White sand area in Isheri Osun, showed that several buildings have been abandoned by their owners, owing to consistent attacks by kidnappers. Some of the owners, we gathered, had been kidnapped about five times with ransom paid before they were released. Unable to bear the emotional and psychological torture associated with the abduction as well as its pang on their finances, most of them fled.

It was also observed that construction work had been suspended in most of the buildings, whose workers were also abducted with the property owners forced to cough out money for their release.

The abandoned buildings were thereafter, used to keep abducted persons hostage until ransom was paid. Some of those who fell prey to the kidnappers were unsuspecting owners of buildings under construction, who visited the site to inspect the development, only to end up in kidnappers den.

War in Sambisa forest

Despite the discovery of the Sambisa forest by security agencies, none, we gathered, dared to storm the vast land until January 3, 2017, when policemen attached to Festac division did.

Crime Guard  gathered that before the operation by the Police, other security agencies, including the Military fought the war against kidnapping from strategic points, on land. Military men , till date are mounted at strategic positions, considered as kidnappers exit points, around the Ijegun, Ijedodo and Abule-Ado axis .

But policemen in Festac, led by the Divisional Police Officer, with the support of members of the Odua Peoples Congress, carried the war right into the Sambisa forest, an operation that reportedly led to the death of one of the policemen.

Deceit

Security hints at Crime Guard’s  disposal revealed that the policemen took the bold step following series of kidnappings which painted the division and Area Command in bad light.

But one of the kidnappers who also doubled as an informant to security agents, we gathered, disclosed the location where an abducted victims was kept, to the Police. Unknown to them it was only a bait.

While some of the policemen condoned off the Sambisa forest from the 6th avenue, others marched into the war zone fearlessly, with the intention of taking their rivals unaware, with a helicopter deplored by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Fatai Owoseni, hovering round the forest, to act as back up for the foot soldiers, as well as to ensure that there was no hiding place for the kidnappers.

After close to an hour walk into the forest, operatives were rattled by gun shots from kidnappers who hid behind a heap of gravel abandoned in an uncompleted building. A bullet, hit one of the policemen. Undeterred by the gun shots, the policemen responded fire-for-fire in the process of which seven suspected kidnappers were reportedly gunned down. But their bodies were reportedly hurriedly taken away by other members who came for reinforcement. The sporadic shooting reportedly lasted over two hours.

Abducted victims released

The operation which was carried out at night, continued next day.  Crime Guard was informed that one of the abducted victims that was kept in an uncompleted building was released in the process.

But they reportedly dragged a second victim from one of the rooms as they retreated. The visibly weak victim who could not move at a point, fell down. Yet, his abductors as gathered, kept dragging him on his back, on the rough terrain. But he was eventually abandoned at a point, when it became apparent that he could give the police an edge. By the time he was picked up by the police, the dying man had blood gushing out of his back, following the rough edges that hurt him in the forest.

DPO kidnapped?

At the end of the operation following day, one of the policemen was found in the pool of his blood dead while another was shot in the leg. But more casualties as gathered, were recorded on the side of the kidnappers.

When the gun shots died down, there was panic in the area, following the absence of the DPO. At a point, rumour went round that he had been kidnapped.

But the gloomy faces of some residents who stood by, lit up when news filtered in that he ( DPO) had returned, through the White sand area.

Military too

After the success of the police in the Sambisa forest, Military men were said to have carried out another operation in a second raid of the forest with a view to destroying kidnappers camps.

But they (Military) insisted on going with their Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC which unfortunately, could not access the terrain owing to its muddy nature.

The Military, stormed the forest in full force, again, after one of its own was declared missing from the Abule-Ado end although report had it that the soldier was abducted by kidnappers who were dislodged from the 6th avenue end of the Sambisa forest. But the Military stated that its personnel was not abducted but missing. As at time of writing this report yesterday,  the missing personnel was yet to be found.

During the invasion of the forest by the Military, several camps were destroyed.

Shrines destroyed

Different shrines, we gathered, were destroyed in the kidnappers camps. Some of the shrines had fresh libation on them, indicating that the practice was just before the arrival of security agents.

Herbalists as revealed, visited the shrines regularly where rituals for fortification were prepared for kidnappers before they strike. Other rituals conducted in the shrines included those that would prevent bullets from penetrating kidnappers in the event of likely cross-fire with security agents. Recovered from the shrines were some ingredients used for the preparation of rituals. They included palm oil, alligator pepper, cola-nuts, bitter cola, among others.

Since the operation, security agents have continued to comb the forest and had succeeded in chasing kidnappers from 6th  avenue and Abule-Ado end.

One of the recent raids of the forest was carried out two weeks ago, after a man and his son who were coming out of a church on 6th  avenue, were kidnapped. They were rescued by policemen attached to Festac division in an uncompleted building inside the Sambisa forest.

CP’s remarks

The police have rescued kidnap victims around the axis since the operation was launched . The recent one ,was that of a Bishop and his wife at the Isheri- Osun end, after a gun battle between the kidnappers and some police escorts on the the couple’s convoy, who were joined by their colleagues from Isheri-Osun division.

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Fatai Owoseni , revealed that a woman was also rescued in a botched kidnap attempt by some militants in Igando area of the state.

Disclosing measures put in place to checkmate excesses of kidnappers in the axis, Owoseni explained “

We have intensified motorised patrols and sustained static deployment within that axis.

Having identified places they take after debriefing victims, we placed joint Police Mobile Force , PMF and Anti-kidnapping policemen at these points. The recent assault we launched in the area paid off and we will not rest on our oars”.

From the foregoing, more raids of the forests were suggested by residents of Festac. One of them , Mr Oruebube Chioye, called on the need for such raid to be extended to the waterside boundaries.

According to him: “Yes, the Police are trying but if a complimenting effort is not carried out to checkmate activities of the ‘big boys’ who operate in the creeks, this war may not be won. My appeal is for government and the relevant security agencies to carry out areal bombardment of the creeks.”