The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ondo State Command, has arrested one Anthony Oscar, a 21-year-old undergraduate, for allegedly kidnapping a 17-year-old girl.
Oluyemi Ibiloye, Ondo State commandant of NSCDC, disclosed this while parading the suspects and two others on Tuesday in Akure. The commandant explained that the suspect collected N50,000 as ransom from the parents of the victim.
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He said the suspect was arrested on February 17, at his residence in Calabar in Cross River State by the Tactical Team of the command.
According to him, Anthony, a resident of Calabar, Cross River, is a specialist in kidnapping teenagers for ransom.
“On January 30, 2024, a complaint of their missing 17-year-old daughter, Araba Joy Temitope, was reported at the NSCDC headquarters by Mr and Mrs Araba Alaba, who resides in Akure.
“Temitope (victim) was reported missing on January 24, 2024, while returning home from school.
“On January 30, the command issued a ‘Missing Person Statement’ to the press for whoever knows her whereabouts to contact the parents or the command at the contact numbers.
“On February 6, seven days after the command’s press release, a phone number, which was later identified to be that of Oscar, contacted the parents of the missing girl that their daughter was in his camp for rehabilitation.
“And he (suspect) demanded N50,000 to be sent to a Monie Point Microfinance Bank account number and that their daughter will be released,” he said.
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Ibiloye, who said that the command initiated a sting operation and instructed the victim’s parents to pay the said amount, explained that the mobile number of the suspect was tracked, and he was arrested.
