Ibadan – The Oyo State Police Command on Tuesday paraded a 20- year-old man for allegedly kidnapping his three-year-old niece for ransom.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Leye Oyebade, told newsmen in Ibadan that the victim was kidnapped at her residence at Adegbayi area of Egbeda, Ibadan.
He said the suspect took the victim to an unknown place and prevented her parents from gaining access to her.
Speaking with newsmen, the suspect, who claimed to be a student of The Polytechnic Ibadan, said he committed the act because his sister’s husband often ignored his request for money.
“I often ask my sister’s husband to give me money anytime I come back from school or visit them at their house but he always declines my request.
“So, I told a friend of mine about it and he said he knows what to do to get me money from them.
“He later came back in the evening with my sister’s daughter and requested for my sister’s phone number which I gave him.
“He then called my sister and requested for certain amount of money and sent his account number.
“My niece spent two days with me. I accosted my friend and told him that I didn’t ask him to kidnap my niece. After sometime, he ran away and that was the last time I heard from him,” he said.
The victim’s mother said when she noticed that her daughter was missing, she alerted neighbours and the community leader in the area who told her to report the case to the police.
According to her, the kidnappers called and asked her to deposit a certain amount of money into their bank account.
“I immediately called them back that I had deposited N50,000 into their account while the anti-kidnapping squad of the command commenced investigation after my complaint.
“I was later told that the location of the victim was discovered to be somewhere in Adegbayi Alakia area of the state where the suspect was arrested,” she said.
Also paraded was a 66-year- old man who was arrested for allegedly claiming to be a lawyer and duping people of their money and other valuables.
The suspect, on his part, said: “I started this act with the intention of going to the law school.
“I started here in Ibadan at Oke-Bola in year 2000. I was managing at a chamber with some lawyers unknown to them that I was a fake lawyer.
“I collected the sum of N7,500 from my last client,” he said.
Also paraded were members of a robbery gang who specialise in hijacking goods-laden lorries and trucks on the Ibadan-Lagos expressway.
Oyebade said the suspects were arrested at Ojoo area of Ibadan.
He said the suspects were responsible for the cases of hijacked fuel-laden tankers in Oyo and Kwara States between 2013 and 2014 respectively.
“A Toyota Camry car with registration number KRD 425 CM, N34,000 counterfeit Nigerian currency as well as a knife and a screw driver were some of the items recovered from the gang,” Oyebade said.
The police commissioner, however, assured residents that his officers would continue to protect lives and properties in the state.
He also promised that the command would uphold the fundamental human rights of the people and ensure strict adherence to the rule of law.
Oyebade called on residents to continue to partner with the command to ensure a safer and peaceful state.(NAN)
