A suspect identified as Kelvin Ogaga has admitted to abducting a three-year-old child he was employed to transport to and from school, saying he released the child after receiving a ₦500,000 ransom from the family.
According to the Delta State Police Command, Ogaga was hired for ₦10,000 per month and had worked for about four weeks before allegedly diverting the child instead of taking the victim to school. Police spokesperson SP Bright Edafe said the suspect and an accomplice initially demanded a ₦2 million ransom and threatened to kill the child if the family contacted the police.
After the family paid ₦500,000, the child was released safely. Edafe said a technically driven, intelligence-led investigation led to Ogaga’s arrest and the recovery of part of the ransom.
“I collected ₦500,000, then I released the child. I was surprised when the police arrested me,” Ogaga said during interrogation.
The suspect also alleged that a friend identified as “Omoh” encouraged the kidnapping and that his girlfriend helped plan the crime. He admitted spending part of the ransom to settle personal debts. Police said investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other suspects while urging parents to carry out proper background checks on caregivers and transporters.
