2 arrested over kidnap of 8-year-old boy in Lagos

Two members of a kidnap syndicate have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the abduction of an eight-year-old boy in Lagos.

The police, who identified the suspects as Desmond Ikechukwu Okafor, 21, and Egwuonwu Gift Iyke, 34, also alleged that both conspired and kidnapped eight-year-old Daniel Chukwudi on July 11.

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The victim has since been rescued by a team of detectives who had been on the trail of the kidnappers since the incident was reported.

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the arrest of the two suspects, said the entire kidnap was planned and executed by the victim’s neighbour, Desmond Ikechukwu Okafor.

Ajisebutu said Desmond allegedly used his unhindered access to the victim’s parents, lured him from his parents’ home at Aboru, in Ipaja area of Lagos and took him to Ajangbadi also in Lagos where they kept the little boy in their custody for six days before he was rescued.

He said 24 hours after the evil act, the suspects reached out to the victim’s parents and demanded the sum of N2.5m as ransom as a condition for his release from captivity or else he would be killed.

Ajisebutu further stated that the Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, who directed that the suspects be charged to court, reiterated that kidnappers and other criminal elements would not be allowed to operate in the state.