An Ikeja High Court heard yesterday how a witness, Mohammed Buhari, dropped money for kidnappers at Ojuelegba, Lagos State.
Buhari gave evidence yesterday before Justice Adenike Coker at the ongoing trial of three suspects – Lima Auwal, Abdullah Usman and Seidu Abbas – alleged to have kidnapped a nine-year-old boy.
The trio allegedly kidnapped the boy on Ajayi Street, Idi-Araba, on November 4, 2022. They were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping.
During resumed proceedings, Buhari gave an account of how he received a call from the kidnappers and dropped money for them at Ojuelegba. The witness said he followed the kidnappers’ instructions and dropped the ransom inside a vulcanizer tyre placed by the roadside towards Ojuelegba.
Led-in-evidence by the prosecution counsel, Ms Titi Adeyegbe, the witness said after he closed from work, he drove his boss, Aliu Abubakar, home. Abubakar is the kidnapped boy’s father.
During resumed proceedings, Buhari gave an account of how he received a call from the kidnappers and dropped money for them at Ojuelegba. The witness said he followed the kidnappers’ instructions and dropped the ransom inside a vulcanizer tyre placed by the roadside towards Ojuelegba.
Led-in-evidence by the prosecution counsel, Ms Titi Adeyegbe, the witness said after he closed from work, he drove his boss, Aliu Abubakar, home. Abubakar is the kidnapped boy’s father.
He also joined in the search and they slept on the street till the following morning.
“Me and Ibrahim went to the second street searching. We were on the street overnight yet we could find the boy. Then my boss went to report to the police.
“Me and Ibrahim went to the second street searching. We were on the street overnight yet we could find the boy. Then my boss went to report to the police.
“They didn’t call me again till Sunday morning. They asked if I am ready to get the boy. They said they will tell me where to get the boy and asked how much I had gotten of the amount they demanded. I said N200,000, and they said it was too small. I beg them but they insisted on N700,000. We were both speaking Hausa and I told them I had gotten N400,000.
“About 10pm, they asked if I was ready to bring the money. I got to Yana bus stop on their instruction, and then they described the cloth I wore. I was told to go to the front of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). He told me to move towards Ojuelegba road and drop the money inside a tyre by the road.
Credit: The Nation Online
