Tosin Oke, a suspected kidnapper widely known as “Old Soldier,” has confessed to using his share of a kidnapping ransom to cover his children’s school fees and other household expenses.
Oke was part of a six-man armed gang that abducted an oil magnate from his dredging site on Ado Road in the Ajah area of Lagos State a few months ago. The kidnappers, heavily armed, whisked the victim away in a speedboat, taking him to an undisclosed location via the waterways. During the abduction, they fired shots into the air to keep bystanders at bay.
The victim’s family managed to raise N42 million, which was then converted to $30,000 as demanded by the kidnappers, along with an additional N100,000 in cash. The ransom was successfully delivered to the gang, but three members—Adelaja Ikuesan, 37; Tosin Oke, 40; and Oluwabunmi Yusuf, 39—were later arrested at their hideout after dividing the ransom money.
Oke, who was one of the gang members, expressed deep regret for his involvement in the crime. In a video shared by Vanguard on the X platform on Monday, Oke, speaking in Pidgin English, said he couldn’t understand how he became part of the kidnapping gang, hinting that he might have been bewitched.
“They gave me $1,700, and when I exchanged it at the Bureau De Change, I received N1.8 million. I used part of it for my children’s school fees, feeding, and saved the rest in my account. I regret getting involved in this; I’m not even sure if I was bewitched into joining them. I don’t understand how I became part of this,” Oke confessed.
He further lamented that even his family was shocked by his involvement, as they knew he had no history of criminal activities. “I honestly regret getting myself involved in this,” Oke added. “Even my family members questioned my involvement because they knew I had never been involved in anything like this before. I used to work as an agent for the police in Zone 2. What could have driven me to participate in something like this?”
For more updates, follow our WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VabITrvEAKW7DSkTfP0JI