Apprehension struck at Ojuwoye market in Mushin area of Lagos state on Saturday, August 3, after a suspected female kidnapper was caught by residents.
Punch reports that a mother of two children, Modinat and a trader in the market, had laid the children, identified as Hammed Rasheed six and Farida Raheed two on the floor.
Unknown to Modinat the suspect had been awaiting her to attend to customer before kidnapping the children. After the suspect took the children, a resident, who knew the mother of the children, challenged the suspect and screamed when she saw the suspect running away with the children.
According to an eyewitness, Saheed Bayedun, Modinat left the children to attend to her customer. The kidnapper, who is about 22 years old, sneaked in and took them away before the mother suspected anything.
Bayedun said: ”The suspect used a piece of cloth on the floor to strap the younger girl, Farida, to her back, and held Hammed by the hand. She was escaping from the vicinity already when someone challenged her. ”The person raised the alarm when she couldn’t get a satisfactory response from the kidnapper. A mob gathered and rescued the children before beating her to a pulp. ”She asked for palm oil, but nobody gave her.
She later confessed that there were six of them recruited to kidnap children. She said they all came from Osogbo, Osun state, and were mandated to abduct eight children each. She said she had already abducted six children and was about getting the remaining two when she was caught.”
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident, adding that investigations were ongoing. Badnos said: ”at about 12pm on Saturday,August 3, two children were allegedly abducted by the suspect at Ojuwoye Market.
However, the mother alerted the police. The kidnapper was trailed and arrested with one of the victims on her back. They were rescued and reunited with their family. The suspect, who refused to give her name and address, is now in police custody and undergoing interrogation.”
