It was a traumatic scene at a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, yesterday, when Aliu Abubakar, the father of a nine-year-old boy kidnapped in the Mushin area of the state in 2022, narrated his son’s ordeal.

Abubakar, the first prosecution witness, in his testimony before Justice Adenike Coker, said after the kidnappers released the boy, he was so traumatised; he couldn’t speak. He only nodded his head and pointed at things.

He testified in the ongoing trial of Lima Auwal, Abdullahi Usman, and Seidu Abbas, charged for kidnapping the boy.

Auwal, 24; Abass, 32; and Usman, 31 allegedly abducted the boy at about 7:30 p.m., at Ajayi Street, Idi Araba, in the Mushin area of Lagos State on November 4, 2022.

Lagos State government had arraigned them before Justice Coker on a two-count charge of conspiracy to kidnap, and kidnapping.

Their offences were contrary to the provision of Section 2(1) of the Kidnapping Prohibition Law, No. 10 of Lagos State 2017.

At the resumed trial, the prosecution witness, led-in-evidence by Rukayat Owolabi, told court that his son was kidnapped on his way from an Islamic school located on the street where he lives.

He said: “On November 4, 2022, after other children had returned from school, my son was nowhere to be found. I started looking for him.
“The following day, November 5, my driver, Buhari Mohammad, got a call informing him that the boy was with them (kidnappers). They requested a ransom of $3,000 and N200,000, otherwise they would kill the boy.

“We started begging them. They agreed to collect N400,000. They told us where to bring the money, and the time. By then, I had reported the matter to the police. They started tracking the number used in calling my driver. The police later brought some telephone numbers and asked if I could recognise any.

“When I dialled, using my phone, I saw that they were numbers that I knew very well, saved on my phone. I told the police that we should go and arrest them. They said I should be cautious because if they become aware that we were coming with the police, they might kill the child.”

The witness said after the communication and the set date to pay the ransom arrived, “the officers said that they would lie low, and if anybody asked where they were, I should tell them that they had gone.

“After that, people started asking where the police officers went. I told them they had gone. Later, the kidnappers called and said I should bring the money at about 12:30 a.m.

“While we were going, we saw a motorcycle carrying someone I recognised to be Abass. I quickly told the police that I knew him. There was a convention ongoing at the time. There were many people on the street. As we shouted, the people helped us and they were apprehended.”

After his testimony, Justice Coker adjourned till March 18, for continuation of trial.