Police rescue 13 chained children, others

The Lagos State Police Command at the weekend rescued 13 children and 15 adults chained and locked up at the Oke-Ira area of Ojodu in Lagos.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Fatai Owoseni, acting on a tip-off, had deployed operatives at the Area ‘G’ Command Headquarters, to the scene.

The initial intelligence report was that a teenager was chained up in the house at Oyingbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu.

A subsequent search of the residence by the police revealed 27 others apart from the 17-year-old the police had gone to rescue.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police, said: “The command received a report through Area ‘G’ Command Headquarters, Ogba that a child was chained in a house at Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu.”

Consequently, a team of policemen was mobilised to the location, where the teenager was found in a room with chain on his legs.

He said that the victim was chained by a man who claimed to be his father, in order to restrain him from going out.

“Further search of the premises led to the discovery of other people chained by the suspect. A total number of 28 persons, comprising six adult male, nine adult female, seven female children and six male children were rescued and taken to protective custody.

“The suspect has been arrested and currently undergoing interrogation as the command is working assiduously to get the root of the occurrence.”