"I tried to kidnap my boss out of greed," - Suspect

Police paraded Maurice Ibangha (22), before newsmen on Thursday in Calabar after confessing that greed led him to attempt the kidnap of his boss, Mr Peter Egba, Cross River’s Commissioner for Commerce and Industry.

Ibangha said he planned the kidnap attempt with three others, including the commissioner’s driver before the police foiled the move.

“I did this out of greed even though my boss sometimes owes me up to four months’ salary; I had no reason to do what I did. I plead for his forgiveness,’’ he said.

He expressed readiness to do anything to be forgiven by his boss.

Supreme reports that Ibangha and his conspirators were paraded along with 16 others arrested for various crimes.

Other paraded were arrested for armed robbery, cultism and illegal possession of firearms, murder and vandalism.

Among the suspects was one Eyo Etim (49), who allegedly abducted, murdered and dumped the body of his victim in a septic tank at Offiong Ambai community in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River.

Commissioner of Police, Mr Sule Balarabe, said Etim committed the crime with other persons still at large.

Balarabe said one AK47 rifle, three locally-made pistols, one G3 rifle, seven locally-made single-barrel gun, one walkie talkie, one live cartridge, three empty cartridges, charms and hard drugs were recovered from the suspects.