Suspected kidnapper John Ewa alias John Lyon has claimed that his job was to identify the houses of his victims before they are kidnapped.
Lyon was paraded on Monday by the police in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital. He is alleged to have been involved in the kidnap of several persons in Bayelsa.
The former banker was reportedly arrested by officers of Operation Puff Adder following the kidnap of Danjuma Emeije, a bank manager in Yenagoa, who was said to be his former boss.
Mr Emeije was reportedly kidnapped on June 30, 2022, and was released after paying ransom in millions.
Speaking with journalists on Monday, Lyon said, “I’m not part of it (kidnap operations), I was misled to show them where this person is. I wasn’t involved in it.
“I’m not in the (kidnap) business. I didn’t approach Danjuma, I only went there to open an account.”
Lyon, 30, a native of Eruan community in Boki LGA of Cross River State, also spoke on his role in kidnapping another victim identified as Hakeem.
“I didn’t play any role in Hakeem’s kidnap, I just showed them his house. We were driving and I pointed to the house. It was my former boss’s house, that was it,” he said.
His alleged accomplice, identified as Emma, claimed that Lyon approached him and other gang members with the proposal to kidnap Hakeem and Danjuma.
“He is lying. I didn’t give him money, it wasn’t me that gave him money. I don’t know those people from anywhere. He is the one that worked with them, I don’t know anything about them,” he said.
“He was the one that brought the Hakeem and Danjuma jobs. If anyone can reason, someone that brought a job would have more money than any other person, so why is he lying?
“He brought the job….(saying) that they sacked him from work and they have money, so let’s kidnap them. Heaven knows I know nothing about those people.”
