They had earlier in a telephone call made to Vanguard denied complicity in the abduction but the revelation from one of the arrested suspects proved otherwise.
The call from the Creeks
At exactly 2.30pm, after Saturday Vanguard hit the streets with a bold, incisive story captioned,’Abductors of Lagos Students behind past killings of security operatives, bank robberies’, a call came from the creeks. The caller who identified himself as ‘De Don’ spoke with cautious optimism but bared his mind in unmistakable terms over the vexatious issue of vandalism and militancy in Nigeria.
The conversation with Vanguard's Crime Editor ran thus;
De Don: Mr. Emma, this story you wrote today saying that General Osy’s gang are responsible for the kidnap of these Ikorodu girls, why did you do that?
Editor: Its from our investigation. Who are you?
De Don: I am De Don, a vandal. I am speaking from the creeks, inside the forest.
Editor: What! Are you proud of being a vandal?
De Don: Yes, very proud. Why did you say we did it? We do not kidnap or abduct people. What we do is to reap from our natural resources, that is our oil. We belong to General Osy militant group. You people are fond of attributing all sorts of criminality to us. This is wrong.
Editor: But you know that vandalism is a crime. Why do you people abduct, kill and maim innocent citizens of this country including security agents?
De Don: What do you expect from us, after suffering to go to school, no job, poverty everywhere? Yet, few individuals are benefiting from our natural resources. This is the crux of the matter. We are poverty-stricken and members of our families are suffering. Most of us here, inside the mosquitoe-infested creeks are graduates that passed out with flying colours yet, nothing to show for it. Every time, they say Niger Delta militants, are we not the g ooze that lay the golden egg? Yet, we are dying.
Editor: Is that enough for you people to be killing Nigerians and terrorizing all of us?
De Don: We don’t kill deliberately. But, if you block our way, we will not have any option and nobody, including security agents, can stop us from engaging in vandalism (shouts of yessooo, yessoo in the background). We do not kill unless you confront us. All I am saying is that we did not kidnap those girls as you wrote in your paper which we bought but we are vandals and we must continue with our trade and government cannot stop us. We can match them money for money, gun for gun. I am warning you to be careful with what you write because we can easily fish you out.
Editor: That will not stop others from writing.
De Don: We know but we can use you to show example to others that tell lies against us.
Editor: Let me advise you, you can see my e-mail in the publication. You are at liberty to state your own side of the story and tell the world why you do what you are doing. I assure you we will publish it.
De Don: Are you sure? ( good, that”s better from voices in the background). Ok, we have agreed and we are going to do a comprehensive write-up and send to your mail. Please, publish our story so that people will know why we are doing what we are doing and the way forward. Expect the write-up on or before Monday next week.
Editor: That’s better. Please include your photographs.
De Don: Which photograph? Save this my number as De Don of Vandals in Nigeria. If you like, give it to security agents, they cannot do anything. They know where we are in the creeks but they cannot come there. Till then. (call ends)
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