13-year-old boy foils kidnap attempt by man, 55

Ibrahim Abdulsalami

A 13-year-old boy, Babatunde Samuel, has thwarted the alleged ploy of a 55-year-old man, Ibrahim Abdulsalami, to abduct him and two of his friends while playing football on John Ogunjobi Street, Suberu Oje in the Alagbado area of Lagos.

The names of the two other children were given as Tobi Ogunride (8) and 11-year-old Sogo James. It was learnt that Abdulsalami approached them at about 6pm on Sunday, April 12 and reportedly offered them N50, to follow him to an unnamed place.

It was gathered that the children declined the offer, but Abdulsalami persisted and promised them other gifts.

Samuel was said to have stylishly left the playing ground and rushed home to inform his father, who hurriedly followed him to the spot.

Our correspondent learnt that the man initially denied the act when the boy’s father quizzed him. He was said to have been taken to the Baale of the community and was subsequently handed over to the police.

He was later charged with attempted kidnapping and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace by the police after he reportedly confessed to the crime.

During his first appearance on April 13 before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ijaiye-Ojokoro, the defendant was said to have pleaded guilty to the two counts preferred against him.

The charges read, “That you, Ibrahim Abdulsalami, on April 12, 2015, at about 6pm on John Ogunjobi Street, Suberu Oje, Alagbado, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by chasing Tobi Ogunrinde, Sogo James and Babatunde Samuel around the street and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 166 (D) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.

“That you, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did offer the above named children the sum of N50 to lure them with a view to kidnapping them and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 269, paragraph (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.”

The police prosecutor, Inspector Benson Emuehi, presented to the court, the statement made by Abdulsalami as evidence.

The elderly man, who spoke incoherently, told the court on Tuesday, April 21, that he had gone to the area on the fateful day to visit a relative of his only to discover that he was late.

Abdulsalami was eventually handed three months in prison by the presiding magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Olayinka.

Putting his perceived insanity to test, Olayinka asked the convict where he hailed from and the names of two of his sons; to which he responded correctly.

“I hail from Kwara State. One of my sons bears Ismail and another bears Waheed,” he said.

He, again, admitted being guilty of the charges when asked by the magistrate before the judgement was passed.

Olayinka said, “The defendant, having responded well to the questions he was asked by the court, has shown that he is not insane. He also pleaded guilty to the two counts made against him. He is, hereby, sentenced to three months in prison.”