‘How I lured kids with biscuits’

• Police arrest suspected kidnappers of two sisters

A 32-year-old suspected kidnapper has told detectives at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters how he lured two under-aged children with biscuits before he abducted them.

The suspect, identified as Uche Omeruwa, had allegedly connived with a self-acclaimed prophet, Kenneth Alozie, 39, and two others presently at large to kidnap two of their neighbours female children, whose ages were put at four and two.

The prophet is the founder of Hope in God Healing Ministry, located at Oremeji street, Igando. The suspects had allegedly kidnapped the children at Akesan area of Igando on Tuesday afternoon while they were returning from summer lessons.

In his statement, Uche Omeruwa, who owns a barbing salon at Akesan area, some metres to the residence of the victim, said he lured the children with biscuits.

“I know the two children. They reside in my area. I saw them while they were on their way back from lesson on Tuesday at Akesan bus stop. I called them and I told them to come and take biscuits. They followed me to a kiosk by the side of the road, where I bought the biscuits.

“After giving them the biscuits, they followed me into awaiting bus, where we meet a lady known as chairlady. It is the woman who asked me to bring the kids for her.

“From there, we drove to Prophet Kenneth Alozie’s house at Igando. The prophet asked me to come back later, but advised me to take any amount given to me,” he added.

On how he met the prophet and the chairlady, he said, “it was my girlfriend, Chidinma that introduced chairlady to me. My girlfriend was living with me before now but had travelled to the village two months ago. She called me from the village one day that her friend, chairlady will call to introduce a business proposal to me.

“After that day, chairlady called me to say that I should look for some children for them and that they will reward me handsomely. That was how I was introduced into the business of kidnapping,” he said.

On how he was arrested, the suspect claimed that it was a boy who saw me with the kids when we entered the bus at Akesan that informed their parent.

“When the mother of the girls saw me in the evening, she raised the alarm that attracted some people in the area. I was beaten to pulp before the police from Igando rescued me.”

The prophet, however, denied any link with the gang. He alleged that those who come to his church are those who are having problem in their marriages.

The Lagos State police boss, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspects before newsmen at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja yesterday, advised parents to pay more attention to their children, wondering how a mother could abandon her two kids for the sake of eking out a living.

“We are yet to arrest the receiver of the stolen children. The so-called receiver is identified as Mama Chioma aka Chairlady. She is presently being hunted with a view to finding out if there are other kidnapped children in her custody,” he added.