Lekan Mustapha, a 16-year-old teenager, has told an Akure Chief Magistrate Court, how he and his guardian used biscuits and magical rings to abduct nine innocent children for an Islamic clergy in Lagos state.
Lekan, who was arraigned on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at the Magistrate Court, said that his guardian has been using him for the kidnap business for Alfa who is based in lkorodu, Lagos state
He confessed that they’ve kidnapped nine children with a magical ring, which he usually used to beat his victims which made them unconscious.
They were arrested last month by men of the state security outfit codenamed Amotekun at the Oka-Akoko area of the State.
The duo with no specific residence were brought to court on one count of kidnapping.
The state counsel. O.F Akeredolu, informed the court that the defendants were involved in child kidnappings in the area. He said they confessed to having kidnapped up to nine children.
Akeredolu said the offence committed contravened sections 3(ii)b and 6 of the Ondo State Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Abduction Law, 2010.
While Yisa denied the allegation, Lekan, confessed that Yisa has been using him to kidnap their victims.
Responding to questions from the trial Magistrate, Lekan, said that he worked for Yisa, who is the link between a syndicate working for an Islamic cleric who resides in Ikorodu, Lagos state.
According to him, the magical ring, used for the operation, was given to Yisa by the Islamic cleric
“l started living with Yisa after the death of my parents some years ago for survival, and we both trekked from Ilorin down to this place.
“Whenever we wanted to kidnap our victim, Yisa will give me biscuits to entice the children and lure them to him, immediately, he would use his charm ring to beat them and they would become unconscious.
“We normally hand them over to Islamic clerics. We have kidnapped up to nine children.
Meanwhile, the state counsel, Akeredolu asked the court to remand the defendants at the Olokuta Correctional Centre till the outcome of advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP.
Damilola Sekoni, the trial chief magistrate, thereafter, ordered the remand of the man at the Correctional Centre.
Sekoni said that the teenager should be taken to a Juvenile remand home till the outcome of DPP’s advice.
He then adjourned the case till March 28, for mention.
‘New naira policy has significantly reduced kidnapping, corruption’ – Malami
Abubakar Malami, the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, has said that the introduction of naira redesign policy by Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, significantly reduced the rate of kidnappings in the country.
The AGF, in an interview with Radio Nigeria Kaduna, said there were positive sides of the policy which were not considered.
A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court led by John Okoro had restrained the CBN from banning the use of the old naira notes – N200, N500, and N1,000 – from February 10.
The apex court made the ruling in an ex parte application brought by three states: Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara.
Reacting to the ruling on Friday, February 10, 2023, Malami said, “I told you the case is still in court, we will obey the court order but we also have right to explain to court the positive sides of the policy.
“If you see the negative side of it, you have to see the positive sides. If these governors told the court the hardships been experienced as a result of the policy, there are also some problems that the policy is solving.
Source: Vanguard
