A three-man-kidnapping gang, on Monday, invaded a nursery/primary school at the Ijegun area of Lagos State and abducted three pupils.
However, luck ran out on the kidnappers as a female member was arrested by the police and the three abducted victims rescued.
It was gathered that, on Monday, the gang, comprising two males and a lady, had arrived at the school (name withheld), pretending to have brought some kids to the school.
The police said while two males on two commercial motorcycles (Okada) were waiting outside the gate, the female member entered the school premises and abducted three kids, but while she was taking them away, someone suspected that the kids were hypnotised and raised the alarm, which attracted some teachers who confronted the woman.
It was gathered that while the teachers were questioning the woman who could not give them a reasonable answer, her gang member zoomed off on their Okada.
The police officer said while the teacher was questioning the suspect, the headmaster of the school, Mr. Segun, rushed down to Area M Police Command, Idimu and the police raced to the school and took the woman and the kids to the station.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the headmaster reported that some unknown persons invaded their school and abducted three students in the school premises.Hundeyin said upon the information, detectives from the area moved immediately to the school.
“The culprits were given a hot chase, where one of the suspects, a 40-year-old female (name withheld), who allegedly kidnapped three pre-nursery children was arrested. The three children were rescued. However, the other unknown suspects escaped with an unregistered motorcycle on sighting the police. The victims, who are between ages of four and six, have been reunited with their families, while the suspect is in police custody,” he said.
Hundeyin further said that investigation revealed that the suspect arrested allegedly kidnapped the children for criminal purposes. He said the suspect and others at large had a standby motorcycle waiting for them to take the victims away, but luck ran against them.
He said the suspect was helping the police with information that could lead to arrest of other fleeing gang members; “we are on the trail of others at large.”
He advised school managements, particularly, nursery and primary schools, to ensure strict security in their facilities, with every visitor properly screened before accessing the premises.
