Bricklayer who abducted 2 kids, nabbed after he sold 1 for N1, 500

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July 29, 2016 2:31 PM

A bricklayer who said he augmented his income by kidnapping and selling children has been arrested by the Ogun State police.

The suspected child kidnapper, Ola Ibikunle

But for the timely arrival of the police from the Ogun State Police Command,

Also Read: "Kidnapping: Man arrested for stealing 2-year-old boy"

Punch reports that Ibikunle, a bricklayer, had wanted to strangle the young girl named Eniola, inside an uncompleted building, when he was caught by passersby.

During interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed that he had earlier stole a three-year-old boy sometime in June, and sold him for a paltry N1,500 in the Sango area of the state.

The mob, intent on setting him on fire, was only pacified when operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Agbado Police Division, arrived on the scene and persuaded the crowd to hand over the suspect to them.

It was learnt that the girl and her 11-year-old sister, Opeyemi, were going for a church programme with their father, Segun Quadri, in the area around 2pm on the day of the incident. But being in a hurry, the father went ahead of them, when the suspect ambushed the children and abducted Eniola.

The sister reportedly raised the alarm which caught the attention of some passersby and Ibikunle was traced to the uncompleted building where he had his hands on the girl's neck, trying to strangulate her.

Ibikunle, an indigene of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, confessed to the police that the girl was his second victim.

“I am a bricklayer, but I use child abduction to augment my wages. A man in the Sango area contracted me to always get children for him.

I don’t know what he uses them for. Last month, I abducted a boy of about three years and sold him to the man for N1,500. This girl (Eniola) was the second child I would abduct, but I did not succeed.”

Also Read: "Rampage: 'We come into Nigeria from Benin Republic to steal children' - Female kidnapper"

A police source narrated that efforts were being made to apprehend the buyer of the abducted children.

“The suspect has confessed to the crime and he stated that he sells his victims to a man in the Sango area. But he has yet to mention the name of the kingpin.

Some operatives followed him to the area twice, but he did not lead them to the man’s house. We are going to ensure that we track him down.”

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