A woman accused of being a kidnapper
has been arrested by residents of Qadri
Close in the Ojuelegba area of Lagos.
The suspect was allegedly nabbed with a
seven-year-old girl, identified only as
Khadijat.
The suspected abductor, Mrs. Grace
Uduak, said to be in her 30s, had
reportedly lured the girl with puff puff
around 10am and was about to leave the
neighbourhood when she was rounded
up.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect
called Khadijat, who was in her parents'
house, and gave her the puff puff. She
was said to have told the little girl to
follow her.
A resident, Joseph Adebiyi, said Uduak
initially whispered into Khadijat's ears
after which she gave her the snack.He
said when residents of the area
confronted the suspect, she told them
she was pressed and wanted the girl to
lead her to a toilet in the area.
He said,
"I was with a friend when I saw
Mariam ─ Khadijat's neighbour ─
running after the woman. The
woman had already walked four
houses from the building where
she abducted the girl before
Mariam met up with her and
challenged her. I moved closer to
them to know what happened. She
said the girl wanted to take her to
a toilet.The girl was brought to
Lagos by her aunty three days
before the incident. The aunty
was not around at that time. That
house is usually deserted. She
actually went into the house to
pick her."
Adebiyi said traders in the area
initially wanted the woman to be
freed, but he and other residents
insisted that she be handed over
to the police.We called the Area C
Police Command and some
policemen came to arrest her," he
added.
Another resident, Bolaji Adesola,
said no sooner had Khadijat come
downstairs to collect the gift than
residents were alerted.
He said,
"The girl actually came down to
collect the puff puff and was
following the suspect when
Mariam raised the alarm. We
informed the police."
The Lagos State Police Spokesperson,
DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said Uduak was
not a kidnapper, adding that she had
only sought the girl's assistance.
"The woman works with Akwa
Ibom Transport Cooperation and
she was sent to deliver a parcel,
but was pressed and needed
direction to the convenience. She
engaged the girl. But the people
around interpreted it that she was
trying to kidnap the girl," he said.
0 comments: