[b]Why we kidnapped two-year-old boy – Suspects
By Sola Adebayo, Francis Falola, Chukwudi Akasike and Olalekan Adetayo
Published: Wednesday, 13 May 2009
The leader of the six suspects arrested in connection with the recent kidnapping of a two-year-old boy in Lagos, told journalists on Tuesday that he spearheaded the crime in order to raise money to boost his music career.

[b]The suspect, 24-year-old Ikenna Uzor, is a resident of 67, Fasasi Street, Olodi Apapa, Ajegunle.

Uzor claimed to be a bureau de change operator at the Trade Fair Complex on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

One of the suspects, Chukwuma Emmanuel, told journalists that Uzor had earlier approached him and intimated to him of his decision to raise money by kidnapping a boy.

Although 24-year-old Emmanuel claimed that he was not part of the crime when finally hatched, he said that immediately he heard the announcement concerning a missing boy in the market, his mind went to Uzor.

”I quickly went to him and asked him if he was responsible for the kidnapping and he told me that the boy was safe,” Emmanuel said.

Another suspect said to be a pastor‘s son, Chigozie Eze, claimed that it was Uzor and Emmanuel who brought the boy into his house at 69, Fasasi Street, claiming that the victim was their cousin.

The only female suspect, Francisca Agukwe, claimed that she was implicated because she went to visit her pastor‘s son.

The victim‘s mother who craved anonymity, said that it was difficult to believe that Uzor was responsible for the kidnap because as a neighbour, he always played with her son and was one of those searching frantically for the boy when he was discovered missing.

The Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba, said that the suspects would be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others.

Meanwhile, three students of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State have been arrested for kidnapping, detaining and torturing a 16-year-old boy, Mohammed Salisu.

One of our correspondents gathered that the students lured the secondary school boy out of his family house and locked him up at one of the students‘ residences in Bosso area of Minna over allegation of theft of a laptop.

The Police Public Relations Officer for the Niger State Command, Mr. Richard Oguche, confirmed the arrest in an interview with our correspondent in Minna on Tuesday.

Oguche disclosed that the police had already commenced an investigation into the matter and would soon charge the students to court.

Also, the Kwara State Police Command, on Tuesday paraded three suspects, including a woman, for allegedly kidnapping an 11-year-old student, Abiola Nathaniel, in Igbaja.

The victim‘s mother, Mrs. Funmilayo Nathaniel, said she sent her daughter on an errand to buy melon and sponge [/b] only for her to disappear for three days.

According to her, after fruitless efforts to locate her, she reported the case to the traditional head of Okeya where she resides.

Nathaniel said after the third day, her daughter surfaced and claimed that one Abraham Opadotun and two others forcibly carried her and tied her mouth and hands with cloth and at about midnight, took her to one Mr. Odeyemi‘s house where she was kept for three days.

She said her daughter was later released after Odeyemi learnt that the police had arrested other suspects.

The Police Public Relations Officer at the state command, Mr. Dabo Ezekiel, said that investigation was still ongoing on the matter.

Kidnappers on Tuesday also asked four children of the octogenarian former President General of Isoko Development Union, Chief Oghale Ononeme, resident in Europe to raise N200m to free their father from captivity.

The hoodlums, in a telephone conversation with the family of the captive, advised that four of the children of the embattled ethnic leader should be speedily contacted to send the money to Nigeria to free their father.

The hoodlums who abducted Ononeme last Friday had demanded a N200m ransom. They insisted on the payment of the ransom as a condition to release the retired permanent secretary.

In another development, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has passed into law, the Anti-kidnapping Bill with death penalty for offenders.

Tagged, ‘The Akwa Ibom State Internal Security and Enforcement Bill 2009‘, the bill was passed into law during the House‘s sitting on Tuesday, following a motion moved by Mr. Samuel Ikon, seconded by Chief Jack Udota and unanimously supported by all the members.

The law, which took effect from May 12, 2009, prescribed life imprisonment for any person who has an intention to maim or kill or do some grievous harm to any person, unlawfully causes a bomb or any explosive substance to explode, among others