The prosecution witness, Mohammed Buhari has narrated before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, how he was called by the alleged kidnappers and drop ransom for them at Ojuelegba road.
Buhari narrated this in his testimony before Justice Adenike Coker at the ongoing trial of three suspect, Lima Auwal, Abdullah Usman and Seidu Abbas alleged of kidnapping a nine-year-old boy.
The trio were alleged of kidnapping the boy at about 19:30 (7:30) hours at Ajayi Street, Idi-Araba in the Mushin area of Lagos State on November 4, 2022.
The state government had therefore arraigned the defendants on a two-count charge of conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping.
Their offences contravene the provision of section 2(1) of the Kidnapping Prohibition Law, No 10 of Laws of Lagos State 2017.
However, at the resumed hearing, the witness gave vivid account of how he followed the kidnapper instructions to dropped the ransom inside vulcanizer tyre placed by the roadside towards Ojuelegba.
Led-in-evidence by the prosecution counsel, Ms Titi Adeyegbe, the witness recounted that after closed of work with his boss, the father of the kidnapped boy, (Mr Aliu Abubakar), he drove Abubakar home.
He said they didn’t meet Abubakar wife and his boss brother, Ibrahim at home. He said they were told that they went looking for the boy, since return returned of school on Friday.
He said he joined Ibrahim to search for the boy, added that they had to sleep on the street till following morning searching for boy.
“Me and Ibrahim went to the second street searching. We are on the street over night, the boy was no where to be found. My boss (Abubakar) went to report to the police. So that second day, in the morning, I got a text message and I went to show my boss, Abubakar.
“The message was that, ‘your son is with us, we needed 3000 dollars and N200,000.00. I later got a call and the voice said, ‘oga na we carry your son’ . I asked if I can speak to the boy. He gave the phone to the boy and I asked how he is ? He responded fine.
“So they don’t call me again till Sunday Morning, they asked me if am ready to get the boy, the said they will tell me where to get the boy. They asked much much I get out of the money, I said N200,000.00 they said is too small. I beg them that there is no money. They said I must make it N700,000.
“He spoke to me in Hausa language, I told him we are both speaking Hausa, he asked how much I get, I said 400,000. So he said he will tell me to where to get the boy that I should follow their instruction. When I got the money, I put in inside black nylon. I got their call around 7 o clock in the evening again that am with Police officers that they will not call again.
“It was around 10 pm they asked if am ready to bring the money. I got to Yana bus stop on their instruction,he asked if am with Police again. He said he have seen me and described the cloth I wore. I was told to go to the front of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). He told me to move towards Ojuelegba road, he asked if have seen tyre placed by the roadside by Vulcanizer. He told me to put the money inside. He asked me to go left I will get the boy.”
Buhari further said he looked up and down he didn’t see the boy. Thereafter he passed out. He didn’t know what happened to him, he only woke up in front of his house seen people gathered. So later he was called at Police station.
He said he remembered in second day that the second defendant (Usman) in Abubakar house, asked him to show him the phone number they used in calling him but he refused.
When he was cross examined by the defendant counsel, Ms Rukayat Owolabi, the witness insisted that the phone number used in calling him begin with 08024 that he couldn’t remember the total number. He insisted that he is a witness of truth.
He also denied been arrested with the defendants. He said he has been working with the victim father for five years, noted that his boss, Abubakar, Seriki has many titles, he is a popular person and well respected man in the community.
He said he only knows the money was N400,000 that he didnt check. He confirmed that he used to see the third defendant in his boss house, he never had of him involved in any criminal act.
The trial Justice Coker therefore adjourned further hearing to May 8, 2024. Ordered that the all parties involve should maintain peace in that community. “The case is in court, you must maintain peace.”
His ordered following the allegation by the second defendant lawyer that there have been mayhem in the area. The prosecution counsel also told the court that the nominal complainant had to petition the police over his incessant attack in the community.
It would be recalled that at the last proceeding on February 7, 2024, the father of a kidnapped nine-year-old boy, recounted the oddeal his son went through. He said his life has not been normal since then as he was traumatized when he returned from the kidnappers’ den and he could not speak well.
He told court that the police arrested them with the ransom the collected from his driver.