Police have arrested a teacher for kidnapping his eight-year-old former pupil in the Akute area of Ogun State.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying the suspect – Odugbesan Ayodele, 29 – was apprehended on Wednesday last week.
He explained that the arrest followed a complaint lodged at Ajuwon Police Divisional Headquarters by the mother of the victim, Fatimat Akeeb, that her son went to school at the Arifanla area of Akute but had yet to return at about 6pm.
According to Oyeyemi, the victim’s mother received a phone call from an unknown person who asked her to be ready to pay N200,000 if she wishes to see her son alive.
She stated that the caller told her that the boy was brought to him by someone and would not release him until the said amount was paid.
“Upon the report, the DPO Ajuwon Division, SP Andrew Akinseye, directed his detectives to embark on a technical and intelligence-based investigation which led to the discovery of the suspect’s hideout.
“In order not to harm the victim, the suspect was lured out with part payment of his demanded ransom and he was subsequently apprehended and he took the police detectives to where he kept the victim and the victim was rescued unhurt.
“On interrogation, he confessed to committing the crime but blamed it on the devil,” the statement said.
In his reaction, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun, Edward Ajogun, ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and prosecution.
He also appealed to parents to always be mindful of their children’s movement to and from school so as not to make them easy prey to criminals.
