Encomium
-vigilant residents nab abductors
Kidnapping has taken a dimension – as it is evident that children are now the main target. ENCOMIUM Weekly’s checks revealed that ritualists have invaded some areas in Lagos, enticing unsuspecting children with sweets and biscuits when no one is watching.
We gathered that there have been several attempts to kidnap school children in some areas of Lagos in the last two weeks.
In the Agbado area, the early hours of Thursday, May 1, 2014, a woman was heading home from vigil with her little child whom she held by the hand when two men tried to drag the child off her grip. She shouted for help and then the men sped off.
It was also reported that a suspected ritutalist, Ihenacho was apprehended at Iyana Iba, Ojo, Lagos, on Saturday, May 3, 2014, for attempting to kidnap three children. The suspect allegedly took the children aged, four, six and seven on the guise that he wanted to buy sweets for them, while their mother was busy in the shop attending to customers. The man had already moved with the children to the other end of the Iyana Iba Road, when people who recognized the children questioned him.
As the man couldn’t give satisfactory answers to what he was doing with the children, he was beaten mercilessly, before he was handed over to policemen from Ojo Police Station.
We also got report of a female kidnapper who was set ablaze as she was caught trying to run away with a school child on Tuesday, May 6, 2014, along Ekoro Road, Abule Egba, Lagos.
It was said that the lady arrived the vicinity in the morning when children were heading to school. Driving a Nissan Extera jeep, she tried to trick a child going to school into accepting money from her. While at it, a passerby challenged her, before the passerby could attract attention, she quickly got in her jeep and sped off.
Rather than drive out of the vicinity completely, she drove two streets away from where she made the first attempt. However, news of her first attempt had filtered through neighbouring streets and residents were alerted. She offered another child (a girl) biscuit and bundled her into the jeep and started to drive off. She hadn’t driven too far off, before residents stopped her and insisted on a thorough search. The child was found in her car, crying for help that the woman wasn’t her mother.
The woman refused to talk but later confessed that she was just a messenger and they were about 40 of them sent out to kidnap children in the Abule Egba environ. She was, however, set ablaze before policemen got to the scene. Her jeep was taken away by policemen.
On that same day, it was also reported that 34 year old Mufutau Kosoko kidnapped a five year old boy, Prosper Kinsley, at Idimu, Lagos, in his house and was rescued by neighbours. The kidnapper was handed over to policemen at the Idimu Police Station and he’s being investigated.
In Sango area of Lagos, on Sunday, May 4, 2014, two kidnappers almost abducted two children at the children’s department of the church. The kids, six months and a year old, were in the children’s church when the two men posed as members checking on their children. They walked in and took them out of the church.
The children’s absence was noticed almost immediately and members mobilized into search groups around the church. The children were found in two sacks at the spot where the kidnappers intended to kill them by hitting the children on the floor. The children sustained injuries. Though the abductors escaped, the case is still being investigated.
An online news report said that four school children were kidnapped on the afternoon of Friday, May 9, 2014, at Powerline, Agege, Lagos.
Sadly, this practice has become rampant, and is increasing at an alarming rate. Many Nigerians believe that it is one of the signs of the end times.
We, however, urge parents to ensure they drop and pick their children up from school, never leave their children alone and unnoticed and also report any suspicious movement to the police.
– TINUOLA JOSEPH
