Teleheem Kamaldeen, a Mobile Technician who abducted a nine-year-old student from a private primary school in Nasarawa State’s New Nyanya area two weeks ago, has been apprehended by Intelligence Response Team operatives.
The 29-year-old suspect was apprehended three days after collecting a N1.5 million ransom for the release of the pupil.
During questioning, he admitted that it took him two months to study the boy’s movements as well as the time his parents usually went to pick him up from school before striking.
According to him: ” I have been monitoring him for two months, waiting for the right opportunity to abduct him. His parents live in the same area with me – New Nyanya. He was always driven in his parents’ car, to and from school.
” I decided to abduct him on their vacation day because parents usually went to pick their children earlier than the usual closing hour that day.
“When I got to the school I discovered that access into the premises wasn’t as difficult as I envisaged. People were going in and out freely while the pupils were playing.
” I walked round until I sighted him among his peers. I told him his mother had paid me to teach him how to operate computer. He was very happy. He followed me without hesitation. I told his teacher that I was his computer instructor and that I came to pick him for his class.
” I took him to a hotel , put on my laptop and started teaching him how to operate the computer. He was glued to the computer until the battery drained out . By then, it was late and I told him we would continue the next day and that his parents were aware he was with me.
” I put a call to his parents to inform them I had kidnapped their son. I demanded N4 million for his release. I later agreed to collect N1.5 million after much negotiation and plea from his parents. I instructed them to drop the ransom in a bush part close to Abuja. When they did, I released their son to them”, he said.
He explained why he got into kidnapping by saying, “As a phone repairer, people brought their phones in for repairs. Some of them would occasionally request that their repaired phones be exchanged for new ones. All they need to do is add some money to their account to get a new phone.
Unfortunately, I did not have enough money to purchase new phones. I planned to use the ransom to purchase new phones to sell and trade for customers’ repaired phones.
CP Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer, described the offence as non-violent but criminal, and advised school owners to put measures in place to check those who bring and take children from schools.
Mba went on to say that failing to put in place the necessary mechanisms to address a recurrence in any school would leave the police with no choice but to arrest and prosecute school owners alongside suspects.
