6 KIDS Missing, 3 Found : Keep Eyes On Your KIDS – DPO
6 KIDS MISSING, 3 FOUND
KEEP EYES ON YOUR KIDS – DPO
By Abolaji Adebayo, Edith Igbokwe, Damilola Kushimo and Olushola Okewole
The Divisional Police Officer for Ejigbo, DSP Olabisi Okuwobi has warned parents to monitor the movement of their wards and be careful who they put their kids in care to avoid regrets.
Okuwobi was reacting to Echonews enquiries on the role of parents in reducing the increasing cases of kidnapping of children in Oshodi- Isolo LGA and other parts of the state.
The Divisional Police Officer confirmed that cases of missing children were reported at the police station, noting that some of the missing children were found while the police were still searching for the others.
She said the parents have to be careful about the movement of their children, saying there should be close monitoring on them as she noted that many of the children got missing out of carelessness of the parents.
No fewer than six cases of missing children were reported at various police stations in Oshodi-Isolo between January and November 2019, ECHONEWS gathered. ECHONEWS gathered that about four children were declared missing in Ejigbo, two in Isolo but none in Oshodi.
It was gathered that out of the six reported cases, three children were found while the case of two children has been taken to court.
Initially, the families of the victims believed their children were kidnapped but, also speaking to Echonews, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana, said the cases were not being treated as kidnapping based on investigations.
On Thursday, August 8, a 9-year-old schoolboy, Isaac Yaqub, who was living with his parents at Block 166 at the Low Cost Housing Estate, Jakande, Ejigbo was playing in the neighbourhood around 5.00pm but did not return home.
He was declared missing but was later found alive and unhurt the following day in Ketu area of Lagos state. His dramatic appearance at the police station in Ketu where he reported that he could not find his way home continues to raise eyebrows on how he got to the place from Ejigbo.
On August 9, 2019, the day Yaqub was found, another 4-year old girl, Victoria Gbadudu who was living with her father’s sister in the Low Cost Housing Estate, Jakande, Ejigbo was reported to have mysteriously disappeared from her residence at Flat 5, Block 200, Jakande Estate, Oke-Afa Ejigbo, leaving her guardian, Mrs. Victoria Enababor in perpetual grief.
Since her sudden disappearance, the case has been reported at police stations.
Up till the moment, her whereabouts is still unknown as both the family and the police have not been able to get any hint about her existence.
On Wednesday, August 14, two four-year old kids, Mbachu Godwin and Raphael Ogunwole who were living with their parents at No.10, Oluwakemi Street, Ilasamaja in Isolo LCDA were declared missing.
Police later charged two suspects- a barber operating within the community who is identified as Christian and his friend with the children, John Chizom – at the Magistrate Court, Oyingbo for allegedly organizing the kidnap.
According to one of the fathers of the missing children, Mr. Oluwaseun Ogunwole, the other five suspects called him on phone and started demanding money to help find out the children.
He said those five people were traced through their phone numbers and tracked by the police and that they were all charged to court as suspects as well.
The suspects were first tried at the court on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 but the case was adjourned as they were asked to re-appear at the court on November 19, 2019 for further questioning.
On November 19, the court could not sit as the presiding magistrate was not available hence, the court sitting was again adjourned till Wednesday, December 10.
The suspects are still in police custody at anti-kidnapping department in Surulere.
Ogunwole, who was not satisfied with the court proceeding and the police attitude to the case, claimed that despite the fact that a witness came to tell the police that he saw one of the two suspects arrested in the community with the children, the police did not torture or drill them well enough to get the fact from them before charging them to court.
The Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana confirmed to ECHONEWS the police are searching for those that are still missing.
According to him, investigation is still ongoing on the missing children, stating that the police could not leave the matter just like that without getting the whereabouts of the children.
He said: “We received the information about the missing children in Ilasamaja and Jakande Estate area of Lagos State and the police are still investigating the cases. We are looking for the children. We have deployed our intelligence teams and they are working on the cases.
Reacting to Ogunwole, he said the police could not do anything until the court finds them guilty, saying the police have no reason or right to subject suspect to any form of torture or drilling once he has been charged to court.
“In the case of those children missing in Ilasa, Isolo area, some suspects have already been arrested and charged to the court, we need to wait for the court to do its work.”
According to reports, the police command has identified three areas as very prone to incidence of missing persons. The first area covers Igando, Idimu, Ejigbo and Ikotun. The second is the Agege and Iju and the third is Badagry.
The case of missing persons has also become a nationwide phenomenon. A report by the national daily, Daily Trust published the data on missing persons in four states as follows: Kaduna State, (19), Kano, (40), Federal Capital Territory, (11) and Benue (32).
The high number of cases reported in Kano prompted the Governor Ganduje administration to set up a judicial commission of enquiry into the cases of missing persons from 2010 to date.
Reports from governmental agencies such as the Nigeria Police, the courts, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons, NAPTIP and non-governmental agencies tracking cases of missing persons put together by Echonews explains why CSP Okuwobi’s warning should not be taken lightly by parents.
The red flag cases include:
Kidnap of children by co-tenants and neighbours
Two ladies- Peace Eze and Adaugo Okafor-stole their neighbour’s son in Awka and took him to Port Harcourt where they connived with Mr. Olujimi Mayokun to sell the boy to persons still at large. The trio were found guilty by the court of Justice J.K. Omotosho and were sentenced to various prison terms.
A statement by the Head, Press & Public Relations of NAPTIP, Stella Nezan said the search for the missing boy continues.
In another case, a co-tenant of Mr. & Mrs. Edos Osarenamwen of Otesi Village, Benin City, Edo State stole two of their children and sold the children to a man in Ondo. According to DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, the man sold the children to one Ogechi Ejike at N450,000 and N300,000 respectively. Ejike, in turn, confessed to the police that he sold one of the children to an orphanage in Afam, Rivers State for N500,000. Police investigations continue.
Kidnap and murder due to spouse rivalry
Police records include a case of kidnap and murder of a child purely out of jealousy by a second wife, Aminat Akanni. On October 3, 2014, Moshood Mubo of 305 Church Street, Lagos Island sent his kids, Lateef(7) and Nofisat (5) to buy biscuit down the street. Unknown to him, his second wife, Aminat Akanni, followed the kids and convinced them to follow her to her home at 20, Moshalashi street, Mushin. She then took the younger Nofisat into the bathroom, drowned her in a bucket of water and dumped her corpse in a nearby canal.
Later, she was found with Lateef and arrested. Her account chills the spine: “ I regret what I had done because the little girl did not offend me, even though I nursed hatred for their mother who I see as my rival and the reason why I cannot have my husband to myself”.
