• Correctional Service denies shielding suspect

A distraught father, Ogunsinasi Oluwaseyi, has pleaded for help to secure the release of his 12-year-old daughter, who has been in captivity for eight months.

Oluwaseyi, during a press briefing, explained how his daughter, Favour Oluwaseyi, was kidnapped in Obio/Akpor Local Council of Rivers State on August 7, 2024.

The 44-year-old father said his daughter was lured out of their home in broad daylight by a female neighbour. According to him, the neighbour led his innocent daughter to a strange man who, upon laying hands on her, immediately took her away in a tricycle.

The father of four urged Nigerians to help him secure the release of his abducted daughter. Narrating the events that preceded the abduction, he said: “On August 7, 2024, I was at my place of work when my wife called to inform me that our daughter had gone missing. I was shocked because that was the last thing I expected.

“My wife told me she was watching television in the sitting room with the children, alongside a friend of our kidnapped daughter, when she stepped out to ease herself. By the time she returned from the toilet, both girls were nowhere to be found.

“She searched the next apartment within the compound, but they were not there. She also checked outside but couldn’t find either of them and then decided to raise an alarm.

“About an hour later, my daughter’s friend was seen running back. My wife asked her, ‘Where is your friend Favour? You were both watching TV together in the sitting room.’

“She said Favour followed a strange man. They both followed him initially, but when she asked Favour if she knew the man, Favour didn’t respond, so she turned back.

“That day, we searched everywhere but couldn’t find her. I even called one of my brothers to help me, but we couldn’t find Favour anywhere.” He narrated that the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N200,000, which was later negotiated to N100,000. Despite paying the ransom, they refused to release his daughter.

In a shocking twist, police investigations revealed that the phone number and bank account used by the kidnappers were traced to a correctional facility in Enugu.

A suspect was identified and interrogated, but he became aggressive and refused to cooperate further. Ogunsinasi further disclosed that the number attached to the bank account used to receive the ransom also traced back to Enugu prison, indicating that someone inside the facility was coordinating the operation.

“When we got to the prison, the suspect’s picture was shown to one of the wardens, who used it to identify and bring him out. The police interrogated him. At first, he cooperated but denied having access to a phone. When reminded of a video call he had with his wife from inside the prison, he admitted to owning a personal phone.

“The police asked him to bring the phone and assigned a warder to accompany him. When they returned, it seemed the warder had coached him. That was when he suddenly became aggressive and began shouting at the police.

“He even refused to sign the earlier statement he had made. A senior prison official supported him, saying he could not be forced to sign it, and we were asked to leave the premises.”

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have condemned the alleged shielding of a kidnap suspect by officials of the Enugu Correctional Facility.

Comrade Enefaa Georgewill, Chairman of Rivers CSOs, called on the Inspector General of Police and the Controller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service to intervene and unmask the suspect.

According to Georgewill, it is unfortunate that criminals now use correctional centres as hideouts to perpetrate crimes, and the alleged protection of the suspect by prison officials is unacceptable.

The CSOs expressed disappointment over the resistance by correctional facility officials to the police’s attempt to arrest the suspect, despite his identity being established. They urged the authorities to take immediate action to prevent further criminal activities from within correctional facilities.

Reacting, the management of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) denied involvement in the incident. Spokesperson for the agency, Abubakar Umar, described the allegations as false, malicious, baseless, and aimed at misleading the public.

The Service emphasised that its Enugu State Command has no inmate by the name ‘Chiboy.’ Furthermore, the NCoS stated that it is unaware of any kidnapping incident in Rivers State or any other command, and denied any connection to ransom payments or transactions linked to the alleged case.

Umar reaffirmed the NCoS’ commitment to security and collaboration with other agencies, but noted that it had not received any requests for investigations related to the incident.

Additionally, the NCoS said that the individual, Enefaa Georgewill, who was said to have addressed the press, has not visited any of its facilities to verify his claims.

The agency also urged media organisations to fact-check reports before publication to prevent the dissemination of misleading information that could harm its reputation.