Police in Delta state have arrested a commercial motorcyclist named Kelvin Ogaga for kidnapping a three-year-old girl who'd been placed under his care. The suspect collected N500,000 from the child's family as ransom before releasing her unharmed.
Ogaga had been hired by the girl's parents to ferry her to and from school each month for N10,000. He worked the route for roughly three weeks before deciding to snatch the child instead of delivering her to school as usual.
To avoid raising alarm, he powered off his own phone and used a different number to contact the family with his demands. His initial asking price was N2 million, though he later dropped it to N500,000.
The family received threats that the girl would be killed if they involved law enforcement. Despite the warnings, they reported the matter to police, who launched an intelligence-led operation.
The family paid the reduced ransom and the child was released safely. Officers tracked down Ogaga and recovered part of the money during the arrest.
During questioning, Ogaga admitted to the crime, according to the Delta State Police Command's spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe. He told investigators that a friend called 'Omo' had pushed him into the scheme because he was struggling financially.
Ogaga also claimed his girlfriend knew about the kidnapping plan beforehand. Police are still working to apprehend the other people involved in the crime, Edafe said.
"The good part is that the child is safe, the suspect has been arrested, and part of the ransom money has been recovered," Edafe told reporters in a video posted Thursday.
The police spokesperson used the case to urge parents and guardians to do proper background checks on anyone they trust with their children's safety and transportation. Such precautions, he said, can prevent similar incidents in the future.
