Police rescue abducted American School student

Lagos State Police Command has smashed another kidnap syndicate, rescuing a 16-year-old student of the American International School Lekki, who was kidnapped on his way to school two weeks ago.

During the rescue operation, one of the abductors was reportedly killed, while two others were arrested. Alleged mastermind of the kidnap was the family’s driver, one Adebayo John, who was taking the teenager to school when the kidnap occurred.

The teenager (names withheld) as reliably gathered by Vanguard, was rescued by policemen attached to Ikoyi division under Area ‘A’ command, from the kidnapper’s den last Friday, in a forest located in Olorun Lekan village, Oja-Odan, in Ilaro, Ogun State.

One of the suspected kidnappers reportedly attacked one of the policemen, stabbing him twice in the head.

The kidnap

Vanguard was informed that the driver, John, went to drop the boy’s father at the MurtalaMohammedInternationalAirport the previous day before he invited two of the kidnappers.

The following day (Thursday), while supposedly going to drop the teenager in school, he picked the kidnap suspects and drove to their den in Ilaro, from where they called the victim’s family two days later, demanding for a N60 million ransom.

The news of the teenager’s abduction reportedly forced his father, who had traveled out of the country, to return immediately, while his mother was said to have been admitted in hospital.

Rescue

However, on the day the kidnappers were to receive the ransom (last Friday) operatives from Ikoyi, acting on a tip-off, stormed Ilaro, where they arrested one of the suspects, who during interrogation, disclosed where the teenager was kept.

However, on their way to the dreaded forest, two other members, John and one other person, were said to have been waiting by the bush path for the ransom.

On sighting the policemen, one of them reportedly attacked them with a knife, following which he was shot.

The deceased suspect was reportedly discovered to be the brother of the driver.

Victim made to swear oath

Family sources told Vanguard that after he was rescued, the teenager could not talk to anyone.

The source said: “When he eventually opened up, he said he was made to take an oath never to reveal anything that happened in the forest to anyone or else he would die.

“Even when the police went to rescue him, he was reluctant to leave because he was scared.”

…narrates experience

Narrating his 10-day ordeal in the hands of his abductors, the teenager was quoted to have said he never suspected he was kidnapped until they got to the bush.

He was quoted to have said “even when Mr. Adedayo stopped to pick the men on the way, I did not bulge. I did not know where I being taken to until I was taken to the forest.

“They kept me in a tent made with bamboo sticks, with fetish objects hung everywhere. At that point, I became afraid. I even thought they kidnapped both of us. I was scared all through.

“I was only fed twice. The first time I was given rice and the second time I was given pap and bean cake.

“They threatened to kill me if my father did not bring the ransom.