A suspected kidnapper who took Tramadol before going on a botched operation in Owo, Ondo State is still sleeping six days after his arrest, the police have said.
The unidentified man was arrested on Sunday as he and three other members of his gang attempted to kidnap a pharmaceutical shop owner.
According to the police, the three-man gang stormed the shop with guns with the intention to kidnap the owner, but the victim raised the alarm and escaped through the back door.
The suspect then tried to escape on a motorcycle snatched from a customer of the shop owner but stumbled while he was trying to ride it while other members of the gang were said to have taken to their heels.
A 400mg tablet of Tramadol was recovered from the pocket of the sleeping suspect which raised the suspicion that he must have taken the drug before he went for the operation.
Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, who spoke to a PUNCH correspondent on Friday, said the suspect had yet to wake up.
“As of today, the suspect had yet to wake up. Maybe he took too much of the drug, that is why he is still sleeping. We have tried all we could to make him regain his consciousness to no avail.
“However, we are still watching him to find out if he is pretending. We are with him and he would face the music no matter how long he is unconscious,” Mr Joseph said.
Tramadol is an opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain.
Like Codeine, Tramadol is highly addictive and often abused, with side effects including light-headedness, dizziness and drowsiness.
