23 years old Electrical Engineer and a website developer, Franklyn Onoaghakpote, has given a chilling account of his near to death ordeal in the hands of some suspected kidnappers in Benin led by one Michael.
Onoaghakpote in a petition addressed to the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Philip Ogbadu, dated 11th February, 2022 and titled “A case of conspiracy and kidnapping against one Michael and others”, said valuables worth N20m was lost to the kidnappers.
Giving a graphic detail of his experience, he told journalists in Benin that he was beaten and abducted to a popular Hotel and Lounge along Okhoro street in Benin City where he was brutalized for several hours.
He narrated, “The fact of the matter is that I am into web development. I owned a programming company called FJM Creative Developer World.
“On the 10th of February 2022, the said Michael requested to see me concerning a website I developed for him two years ago but when I got there, I waited for him only for him to appear with about twenty boys who abducted me with guns.
“They blindfolded me, tied my hands and took me to an uncompleted building where they started beating me and forcefully took valuables from me.
Among the items are: Samsung S21 Ultra with IMEI No: 350299944273493/352817864273496 valued, IPhone 6, my bank transfer PIN and transferred the sum of N4,900,000.00, (four million, nine hundred thousand naira) from my GT Bank account to a Polaris Bank account, $15,000 worth of bitcoin, gold necklace and hand chain.
“They took me to a river, stripped me naked and started beating me again. After the beating, they blindfolded me again, took me to a room where I was kept for seven hours and were calling my parent for ransom of N16 million that if my parent refuse to pay the money they will kill me.
“They put a call to their father who they claimed is a military man who ordered them to shoot my legs but they ended up hitting my legs with planks before I was released to go at about 2.30am on the 11th February, 2022.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Bello Kontongs confirmed the report and said he was expecting detailed briefing from the anti-kidnapping department of the police.
He however said that three persons have been arrested in connection with the matter.
