How I got back my Lexus SUV after kidnappers collected it as ransom — Victim

Paul Idehen, one of the victims of the kidnapping syndicate that abducted a woman at the vegetable market in Edo State has narrated how the gang changed the colour and registration number of his Lexus SUV after collecting it as part of the ransom.

Speaking exclusively to DAILY POST in Benin shortly after the parade of 32-year-old Isaac Marvellous – one of the suspects arrested in connection with the incident by the Edo State Police Command on June 18, 2026 – Idehen also recounted how he was able to identify and recover the vehicle.

Recalls that Idehen was kidnapped on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at his wife’s pharmacy shop opposite the Ekehuan Army Barracks, Benin City and was released on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 after paying N5.5 million. The kidnappers also collected his wedding ring and the vehicle as ransom.

While parading the suspects and others arrested for various crimes, the Commisisoner in Edo State, Monday Agbonika said Isaac Marvellous and members of his gang kidnapped a woman at the vegetable market on Sunday, June 14, 2026.

Agbonika listed the items recovered from the suspect after the arrest to include a red Lexus RX 350 with registration number EKP 848 AE, which the suspect confessed was used in carrying out the kidnapping operation.

Others are one pump-action shotgun, two live cartridges, N2.2million cash and one motorcycle suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Speaking on how he was able to recognise the vehicle 57 days after it was taken away from him, Idehen said, “I had inscribed several identifying marks inside the SUV. Yesterday, I saw a video that went viral. I reported the incident to the police when the kidnappers took the vehicle away. After reporting it, I did everything possible to ensure I got the car back.

“At a point, I almost gave up because from April till now, it is almost two months. I had already resigned myself to the fact that the car was gone forever and decided to focus on other things.

“I encouraged myself that since I was alive, I should let the car go. But yesterday morning, or the day before, I saw the viral video of the kidnapping at the vegetable market. Immediately I saw the vehicle, my instinct told me it was my car.

“When they opened the back seat, I noticed the interior was black. My car has a black interior. The red colour was not the original colour of the vehicle. It was originally grey before they repainted it.

“But I just knew it was my car, and my instinct kept telling me that if kidnappers were using such a vehicle for their operations, it was likely mine.”

Idehen explained that his conviction  prompted him to visit the Edo State Police Command headquarters.

He said before going to the command, he had informed a friend about the viral video and his suspicion that the vehicle belonged to him.

He said he also sought advice on the documents and information he would need to prove ownership since both the colour and registration number had been altered.

Idehen posited that he told his friend that the police investigation should go beyond the colour and the registration number of the vehicle.

“Surprisingly, early this morning, another friend called to inform me that some suspected kidnappers had been arrested at a hotel and that a red Lexus had been recovered. He advised me to come and check whether it was mine.

“I immediately said, ‘Jesus, that’s my car.’ So, I rushed to the State Police Command. When I got there, I was told the vehicle had been taken to Zone 5.The moment I got there, I saw the car,” he added.

Asked how he confirmed ownership of the vehicle, Idehen said: “I have several markings inside the vehicle. I also have the chassis number and all the vehicle documents. I knew they could not alter the chassis number.

“I only needed personal conviction that it was truly my car. I told the officers that there was a mark inside the boot, another at the front, and several others in different parts of the vehicle. I described each of them.

“When we opened the vehicle, they found all the markings exactly where I said they would be. That was when they concluded that it was indeed my car. They also checked the chassis number, which matched the one stored on my phone.”

Idehen commended the Nigeria Police and other security agencies for their efforts in recovering the vehicle.

He also thanked God for making the recovery possible and praised Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo for providing an enabling environment for security agencies to support the government’s fight against kidnapping and cultism in the state.