‘We strangled him because he recognised us’ – Kidnappers of 17-yr-old boy

By Evelyn Usman

Emotions ran high, Wednesday, after a 21-year-old man, Anthony Oghenetega, arrested over the kidnap and murder of 17-year-old Thomson Adams, disclosed how the victim was lured to an apartment in the Ikorodu area of Lagos on Monday, April 29, restrained, strangled.

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His body dumped in a bush.

The suspect said the intention was to abduct the unsuspecting teenager and send footage of him in chains to his parents in order to demand ransom for his release.

He added that the decision to kill the victim was driven by fear that he could expose him and his 23-year-old accomplice, Elijah Emmanuel.

The suspects, it was gathered, had been responsible for several kidnap and murder cases in the state until they were arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command.

Briefing journalists on the arrest, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, said: “On April 27, 2026, at about 8 p.m., operatives of the Command, acting on credible intelligence, traced and arrested two suspected kidnappers at Lucy Fibre Area, Ikorodu, Lagos.

The suspects are Elijah Emmanuel, 23, and Tony Ekwane Oghanetega, 21.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects are linked to the kidnapping and gruesome murder of one Thomson Omokhafe Adams, which occurred on April 22, 2026.

“Further interrogation also revealed that the suspects had earlier kidnapped and murdered a female victim on November 30, 2025, during which a ransom of ₦300,000 was paid by the victim’s family.”

How Adams was killed

Explaining how and why the teenager was killed, Oghanetega said: “We killed him because my associate said the victim knew him very well; he knew his house and family.

“We felt that if we let him go, he would expose us. That was why we decided not to let him go.

“My associate, Elijah, lured him to my apartment. When he came, he was welcomed like an old friend, not knowing what we had planned. We had chains, padlocks, and a ‘Ghana-must-go’ bag.

“I had a conga as my weapon, while my associate had a stick with nails. We were chatting on WhatsApp, planning how to bring out the weapons and scare him.

“I told him that if he behaved well, he would come out alive, but if he did not, he wouldn’t make it out. He started panicking. Elijah chained his legs and made a video of him, which was intended to be sent to his parents.

“We switched off the light that night. I strangled him from behind, but I became weak and told my associate, Elijah, to continue. He held him until he became quiet.

“That was when we knew he was dead.

“We tied him and put him inside the ‘Ghana-must-go’ bag we had bought earlier. Elijah carried it on his head out of the compound.

“To avoid suspicion, we disguised our movement. We carried my music equipment, microphones, and speakers so it would look like we were going for a job. We called two motorcyclists. I sat on one with the bag containing the corpse, while Elijah sat on the other motorcycle.

“We stopped at a secluded place, paid the motorcyclists, brought out the corpse from the bag, and dumped it in the bush.”
The suspects, according to CP Fatai, would be charged to court.

Vanguard News