Two suspected kidnappers, identified as Adegboye Seyi Sunday and Adegboye Elijah Adefemi, have confessed to dismantling sections of a wall at a family home in the Iyana Offa area of Ibadan in order to abduct a five year old girl without alerting anyone inside the house.

The child, identified as Fikayo Gbemiga, was taken from her family’s residence overnight while the household was asleep. Her mother later disclosed that she woke up around 6:20 a.m. to prepare for the day, only to discover that her purse had been disturbed and her daughter was nowhere to be found, with no sign that anyone had broken in through the doors or windows.

According to the confessions, the suspects had first attempted to create an opening through a room and a kitchen area before eventually gaining access through the family’s sitting room, where the child was sleeping.

The method allowed them to slip in and out without raising any alarm, leaving the family unaware until they noticed she was missing.

Following the abduction, the kidnappers demanded a ransom, initially asking for N10 million before the amount was eventually negotiated down. The child’s mother later narrated how she personally delivered one million naira to the kidnappers in Osun State to secure her daughter’s release.

Operatives of the police Anti Kidnapping Squad, relying on intelligence gathering and technological tracing tools, eventually traced the suspects to a hideout in the Mojoyin Molade area along Iwo Road in Ibadan.

The principal suspects were arrested there on the night of July 11, and the child was rescued unhurt shortly after the operatives stormed the location.

Police say the suspects have since made useful confessional statements and are currently assisting investigators, with further efforts ongoing to track down other members of the syndicate believed to be linked to the crime and to recover more evidence ahead of prosecution.

Photo Credit: People’s Gazette Nigeria