Alleged plan by a female kidnap syndicate to abduct some students on their way to school last Friday, in Aguda area of Surulere, Lagos, was botched, following the the arrest of three of its members.
The women were said to have succeeded in cajoling six students who were heading to a public school on the Island and zoomed off towards Orile/Mile Two.
There are, however, different accounts as to how they met their waterloo as a version of the account had it that the eldest of the abducted students, a Junior Secondary School 2 girl, raised an alarm on noticing that the route plied was different from the regular route to their school.
The alarm raised reportedly attracted curious commuters at Orile who chased after the vehicle but another version had it that the students were kept inside the boot of the vehicle.
However, on reaching Orile, commercial motorcyclists were said to have been attracted by bangs from the boot of the car and out of curiosity, reportedly stopped the car and demanded that the boot be opened for them to ascertain what was inside.
On noticing that the students were abducted, a mob descended on the three women and attempted to set them ablaze but for the timely intervention of policemen from Orile division.
The mob, however, succeeded in setting their operational car ablaze.
One of the eyewitnesses at the scene said: “ One of the students said when they noticed this was not the way to their school, they told their abductors to take them back from where they picked them but they didn’t respond.
‘’She said she started crying and shouting at the same time. When they got to salvage bus stop at Orile, their cry attracted some area boys who approached the abductors and asked them where they were going.”
Efforts to speak with the suspects and the rescued students at Orile Police division failed as Vanguard was asked to go to the spokesman, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Joe Offor, for comment.
‘’Immediately, he said that, the students cried for help, saying the people were kidnappers. Sensing trouble, the kidnappers immediately sped off . But unfortunately for them , they drove into a port hole which caused one of the tyres to burst.
‘’Yet they kept moving until they were caught up with at Abu street . The ladies were stripped naked, while their vehicle was destroyed . They would have been set ablaze but for Police intervention.”
Efforts to speak with the suspects and the rescued students at the Orile Police division failed as Vanguard was asked to go to the spokesman, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Joe Offor, for comment.
Vanguard
