Lagos
State Police Command has rescued Olufolabi Adeniji, the 16-year-old
pupil of American International School, who was kidnapped on April 16,
2013.
According to police authorities, the victim was found in a bush in Ilaro area of Ogun State on Friday.
PUNCH Metro had reported on April
18 that the victim was being driven to school by his parents’ driver,
John Adebayo, when he was kidnapped.
It was also reported that the parent’s
vehicle was later found at the Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki, while the
driver and the boy’s whereabouts were unknown.
But police investigations had revealed that Adebayo masterminded the kidnap.
It was learnt that the kidnappers contacted the victim’s parents and demanded N60m as ransom.
The police were said to have traced the suspects to Ilaro where they combed for two days.
It was learnt that the family were able
to convince the kidnappers to accept N5m and in the process of
collecting the ransom, they were arrested.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said the operation was carried out by policemen attached to Ikoyi Division.
She said, “The driver was the one that
opened the door of the vehicle and allowed the other kidnappers to enter
the vehicle. The kidnappers pointed a gun at the victim’s head and took
him to a bush in Ilaro.
“After the matter was reported at Ikoyi
Division, the Divisional Police Officer, Aisha Haruna, began
investigations to the matter and convinced the parents of the victim not
to pay ransom.
“Policemen in plain clothes got to Ilaro and after two days, they found the location of the kidnappers.
“Around 4am on Friday, policemen spotted
the suspects in the bush. On seeing the policemen, one of the suspects
stabbed a policeman twice in the head.
“The suspect was shot and killed immediately while the three other suspects were arrested.
“The suspects revealed the location of the boy and he was rescued in good health.”
Our correspondent learnt that the slain suspect was the sibling of the driver.
Braide seized the opportunity to warn
members of the public never to pay ransom in the event that any of their
loved was kidnapped.
“It is because families of victims
hurriedly pay ransom that is why kidnappers are having a field day.
People should have faith in the police to do our jobs and kidnapping
will become a thing of the past,” she said.
PUNCH
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