Woman abducts three-year-old, tricks brother with N500

Afeez Hanafi

A three-year-old nursery one pupil, Rihannat Oloruntobi, has been reportedly abducted from Bankole Street, Orile-Iganmu area of Lagos by a yet-to-be-identified woman.

Rihannat, who lived with her mother on Tokosi Street in the neighbourhood, was said to have followed her eight-year-old brother, Sultan, and other kids to play around Bankole Street at about 7pm on Tuesday.

PUNCH Metro learnt that while the kids were engrossed in the play, a woman approached them, beckoned on Rihannat and whisked her away.

Sultan was said to have initially restrained the girl from going with the woman, but later succumbed after she reportedly gave him N500, telling him that she was their mother’s friend.

Our correspondent learnt on Thursday that the whereabouts of the pupil was unknown, while the incident had been reported at Orile, Alakara and Bode Thomas police stations.

Rihannat’s father, Idowu Oloruntobi, said the family had made efforts to find her to no avail, adding that the mother’s carelessness was partly responsible for the incident.

He said, “I was in the office when I received a call that my daughter was missing and we have taken all the necessary steps towards finding her. I learnt that she, her brother and other children were playing on Bankole Street when a woman called her, and told  her brother, Sultan, that she was their mother’s friend.

“Sultan said the woman gave him N500 and went with Rihannat. The money was found in his pocket. He said he did not want her to go with the woman, but Rihannat also affirmed that she knew her. Rihannat is very sharp girl and that makes me to suspect that the woman might be an insider.

“Her mother is also to blame for her carelessness. She was in the market that time. Why would a mother allow a little child to be wandering freely at that time? It shows she values her business more than the children.”

However, the mother, Oluwabunmi, who sells provisions at the Balogun Market, told PUNCH Metro that she had on the fateful day left the children under the care of her sisters as usual.

She said she was still grappling with the fact that Rihannat was abducted by a friend, as she did not have one in the community.

She said, “I rushed home that evening from the market when I heard Rihannat was missing. Her brother said one woman identified herself as my friend and gave him N500, but I don’t have any friend in this area. I always leave them with my sisters whenever I am going to the market. It is as if somebody is trying to punish me.

“We have gone to three different police stations, including the Alakara Police Division.

“I’m appealing to the public to assist us in finding her. She is three years old and she is in nursery one.”

A resident of Bankole Street, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the children had been instructed to return to their house that day.

“I saw them playing around here that evening. They were sent back home. I learnt they came back,” he said.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joe Offor, promised to get back with our correspondent on the incident, but had yet to do so as of press time.