23rd June, 2011
A five-year old girl who was kidnapped at Ijora-Oloye, Apapa, Lagos, foiled an attempt by her abductor to take her away when she reportedly told him that he was not her uncle as he claimed.
The suspected kidnapper, Peter Sunday , was alleged to have kidnapped Wasilat Habeeb, a pupil of Nigeria Navy Primary School, Ajegunle at their house at 1, Oyewole street, Ijora-Oloye Apapa.
The incident happened in the night at about 8.p.m.
While he was trying to escape with Wasilat, a resident who suspected his movement with the girl, stopped and asked him where he was going with her and whether he was the girl’s father.
Sunday told the man that she was his brother’s daughter. He added that they were going to meet her father.
The shocked girl immediately told Sunday in the presence of the officious bystander that he was not her uncle, as he claimed.
She also told the man that Sunday came to their house to take her away.
The man raised an alarm that attracted other neighbours. They held him and took him to Oba Fatai Aromire, Ojora of Ijora Kingdom, who took him to a police station.
It was at the station that Sunday told the police that he was not living in the area as he earlier claimed.
He said that he stays at Marine Beach, but did not say what he intended to do with the girl.
The father of the victim, Habeeb, told P.M. NEWS that he was still shocked at what happened.
He said he got to know about it when the defendant was taken to the Oba and he was called and told what happened.
Sunday was charged to Apapa Magistrate’s Court for child theft. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The court granted him bail in the sum N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The matter has been adjourned till 27 June 2011.
—Cyriacus Izuekwe