A soldier of the Nigerian Army serving in the Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-East, reportedly sold his weapon for N300,000, according to confession by a 34-year-old suspected kidnapper, who was arrested and being paraded by Edo State Commissioner of Police, Philip Ogbadu.
Sampson Ebiowei, who hails from Ofunama in the Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, was caught by the police with the rifle as well as 88 rounds of ammunition.
During a parade by the police at the command headquarters by the police, Ebiowei noted that he got the rifle and started the kidnapping business after his name was removed from the list of beneficiaries of the Nigerian government’s Niger-Delta Amnesty Programme for repentant militants.
Ebiowei, who has three wives and four children, said, “I was captured in the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme before, and was being paid N65,000 per month, but my uncle who helped me to get the job said he wanted to be collecting N20,000 from the money.
“However, because I said no, he removed my name from the programme.
“In anger, I contacted a soldier and friend serving in Maiduguri who sold the gun to me for N300,000 along with 88 rounds of ammunition. I had bought the gun to fight the oil companies in our place, because they had refused to give us jobs.”