THREE days after two ladies rented an apartment in the Sango-Otta area of Ogun State, they reportedly abducted the children of their landlord and that of their co-tenant.
The fugitive suspects reportedly moved into the apartment situated on No. 7, Faith Crescent, Bible College Road, on 8 December and on 11 December, they allegedly connived to steal their new landlord and neighbours’ children.
A source said that the ladies actually made away with three children: two siblings, Deborah and Michael Osinowo, aged 7 and 4, respectively, and Ifechukwu Eke, four years old.
They were forced to drop Deborah at Mosalasi bus stop on the Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway as she ceaselessly cried aloud, a development that sent cold shivers down the abductors’ spines, and for fear that her action might arouse suspicion, thereby attract the attention of other road users.
After getting off the abductors’ captivity, Deborah, it was gathered, borrowed a handset, called her father, and narrated the ugly situation.
The other two male victims, Michael and Ifechukwu have, ever since then, not been found.
To worsen the situation, the agent, who rented out the apartment to the abductors, does not have any of their information, thereby making it difficult to track them.
Ogun State Police Cmmand’s Public Relations Officer, SP Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident on Wednesday. Odutola said that the landlord, Johnson Oshinowo, reported that a woman to whom he rented his apartment on 7 December 2023 abducted his son and another neighbour’s son, who were both four years old.
He claimed that the woman who had just spent three days at the apartment had no known identity as the landlord and the house agent did not conduct a profile check before renting the apartment to her.
She said, “On 12 December 2023, at about 0835hrs, a landlord informed the police that he rented a room apartment to a woman on December, 7 and on December 11, the woman abducted his son and his neighbour’s son without any trace of their destination.
“Immediately the report was received, detectives swung into action and visited the scene to conduct preliminary inquiries.
“From the preliminary investigation, it was gathered by the detectives that the woman had only spent three days in the rented house without any known background information. It was also gathered that the landlord and house agent have no profile of the suspect.”
She disclosed further that the Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alamutu, has directed a discrete investigation into the abduction to ensure that the suspect was tracked down.
“The CP has directed a discrete investigation and urged operatives to intensify their efforts to track down the suspect and rescue the children,” Odutola concluded.
Eighteen-Eleven Media