Lagos Police Rescue Woman Allegedly Behind Abduction of 3-Year-Old Boy
A middle-aged woman, suspected of abducting a three-year-old boy, Mohammed Naziru, in Lagos, has been arrested by police decoy operatives. The boy had been returning from a mosque with his eight-year-old sister last Friday when the woman allegedly lured the child away.
The woman, whose identity is yet to be verified, disguised herself in a hijab, blending in with women who had attended the Jumat prayer. She handed the older sister N500 to buy ice cream and while the girl was away, she abducted her younger brother.
Efforts to locate the child immediately after the abduction were unsuccessful. However, on January 13, 2024, the woman reappeared in the community. The boy’s sister recognized her and identified her as the kidnapper. Upon being spotted, the woman attempted to flee but was caught by a mob. Had it not been for the timely intervention of police from the Sabo division, the woman might have been lynched.
The boy’s father, Alhaji Idris Adamu, expressed distress over his son’s disappearance, as the woman refused to reveal where the child was. He mentioned that when she was brought to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), she pretended to be mentally unstable.
Alhaji Idris explained, “I was informed that my son had been kidnapped and rushed to the house. The woman was being beaten by a mob, and I begged them not to kill her. I reported the matter at Sabo Police station. Later, the police transferred her to SCID after the mob surrounded the station.”
During her arrest, pieces of paper were found on the woman containing an address and instructions for putting the boy to sleep with an injection, along with multiple phone numbers.
The father said, “All I want is my son. She needs to tell us where he is before any harm comes to him.” He also noted that the woman changed her appearance, removing her braids to appear disheveled in a bid to mislead the authorities.
The detectives at the SCID are now investigating her mental state, planning to take her to a psychiatric hospital. Meanwhile, a man who initially claimed to be the woman’s father during the mob’s confrontation was detained but later released.
