‘I abducted my madam’s grandson to raise money to start a business’

A 25-year-old man, Felix Meshack, has told police detectives attached to Anti-Kidnapping Unit of Lagos State Police Command that he wanted to use money from his kidnapping business to finance his welding business.

Police said that Meshack abducted a three-year-old boy, Chisom Chidi, on June 4, at his stepmother restaurant in Railway Compound at Ebute- Meta where he was working as a waiter.

It was gathered that immediately the suspect abducted the boy, he took him to Abia State and then sent a text of his bank account to the victim’s father, demanding for N600, 000 ransom or he would kill the boy.

The boy’s father, Mr. Kalu Nelson, explained that the boy was with his mother in-law in her shop when Felix lured him that he wanted to buy biscuit for him.

Nelso said: “He told my son he wanted to buy biscuit for him. My son followed him and to my mother in-law’s surprise, they didn’t return to the restaurant. Two months ago, the suspect came to meet a woman who operates a beer parlour in railway compound. Unfortunately, the woman told him she couldn’t employ him that she had employed someone earlier. The woman directed him to my mother in-law’s restaurant. It was simply because he is an Igbo person that he was given the employment. After negotiations, my mother in-law also promised that she would throw in meals to go with the salary.”

Nelso recalled that four hours after Meshack left with the little boy, everyone became worried. The matter was reported to the Railway Police Station. The suspect’s phone number was collected.

Nelso said: “The police promised to get back to us. After two days when we didn’t hear from the railway policemen, we went to their station and they directed us to Anti-kidnapping Unit. He was tracked to Port Harcourt Enugu road. The following day, he called and threatened to kill my son if I didn’t pay him N600, 000. I begged and told him that I could only afford N350, 000, which I forwarded to him through a bank account he sent to me. It was at that point that he allowed me to speak with my son. When I spoke with my son, I asked where he was, he said that he was with uncle. Felix collected the phone from him and told me they were doing well and switched off the phone. Last week, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit called me on phone that the suspect and his younger brother had been arrested. My son was later handed over to me.”

Meshack blamed his action on the devil, stressing that the boy’s grandmother used to take good care of him.

His words: "I came to Lagos to work and raise money to start my welding business. It was a friend of mine that advised me to work in a restaurant. The boy’s grandmother accepted me when the woman I wanted to work with in her beer parlour rejected me. On the fateful day, Chisom and I were the only person in the shop when the thought came to my mind to abduct him and collect ransom from his parents to start my welding business. I took him to Imo State, where we spent a week. While he was with me I used to feed him with rice and biscuit. When Chisom’s father spoke with me, he pleaded that he couldn’t afford the N600, 000 I had earlier demanded. I then asked for N350, 000. The money was forwarded into my younger brother’s bank account. Police later arrested me through my brother in Abia State.”

The suspect’s younger brother, Chinekelem Felix, said he only gave his account details to his brother, he didn’t know Meshack wanted to use it to receive proceeds of abduction.

He said: “Meshack gave me N4, 000 and asked me to give him my bank account. When I asked him what he wanted to do with my account details, he lied that he wanted to use it to collect money from his friend. When I saw the alert, I went to the bank the following day to withdraw the money. It was at that point that the police arrested me. I had to take them to Meshack.”

Chinekelem said that when their parents saw the baby with Meshack, they asked him where he got the boy, he lied again.

“He said that the baby was his; that his girlfriend in Lagos had the baby for him. It was when police arrested him that we knew he actually kidnapped the boy and brought him to Abia State,” said Chinekelem.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal said that immediately he received the complaint, he directed the officer in charge of Anti-Kidnapping Squad to investigate and ensure that the victim was rescued and the suspect arrested.

He said: “The Squad went into action immediately and located the suspects at Lakponta Autonomous Community of Umu-Nneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, where Meshack and Chinekelem were arrested. The victim was rescued from captivity on June 15."