A 19-year-old girl has been arrested for kidnapping a 9-month-old baby and demanding N2 million as ransom.
Rachael John
A 19-year-old girl, Rachael John, has been apprehended by operatives of the Ogun State Police Command in Ijebu Ode area of the state, for allegedly being part of a gang that kidnapped a nine-month-old baby, Joy Atunramu, and demanding for a ransom of N2 million from her parents.
In a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, the victim was abducted from her mother's shop at the Old Tollgate area in Ijebu-Ode in the afternoon of Wednesday, May 20, 2015.
On how John was arrested, the PPRO said that she had a conflict with the mother of the baby some time ago and had vowed to deal with her before the baby was eventually abducted.
To get back at the mother of the baby, the 19-year-old suspect lured the little girl out of her mother's sight, abducted her and fled with her to Ogbere area of the town.
"The police were informed of the incident by the mother of the baby, same date about 06:30 hours, when the mother noticed that the suspect has taken away the baby and rushed to the police station to complain.
Then police detectives immediately swung into action and traced the suspect to Ogbere, Ijebu area, on a tipoff, where she was arrested.
Though, initially, the mother did not know who actually stole the baby, but neighbours and some eye witnesses who saw the suspect with the baby, intimated the mother and the police detectives before the arrest of the suspects.
It was also gathered that the suspects allegedly demanded for the sum of two million naira only (N2,000,000) before the release of the baby."