Police arrest woman over alleged abduction of five-year-old

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr. Umar Manko

Lagos State Police Command has arrested a woman, Basira Alabi, for abducting a five- year- old girl, identified simply as Divine.

It was learnt that Alabi, who was nabbed by the Okokomaiko Police Division, was neither a friend nor relative of Divine’s family. She was said to have abducted Divine from her school at Ijanikin during its end of session party on Friday.

A police source said Alabi and Divine had already boarded a commercial vehicle to Okokomaiko, before some co-passengers became suspicious of the woman.

The source said, “Alabi had used the end of session merriment at the girl’s school as a cover to lure the child away from the premises. They boarded a bus from Ijanikin to Okokomaiko before anyone suspected that something was amiss.

“While on the way to Okokomaiko, co-passengers were curious about the relationship between Alabi and Divine because there seemed to be no affection or familiarity between them.  The passengers questioned Alabi on who Divine was and she responded that Divine was her child.

“Perhaps, frightened by the attention that was being focused on them, Divine did not respond when she was questioned about Alabi.”

PUNCH Metro gathered that when the driver could no longer stand the unease in the bus, he pulled over at Okokomaiko and asked Alabi to disembark along with Divine.

It was learnt that when Alabi got down from the bus, the passengers noticed that Divine was being pulled by Alabi because the child was reluctant to go with her.

The passengers were said to have subsequently alerted the police.

The source said, “At the station, Alabi was asked her relationship with Divine. She explained that she was the mother but when she was asked Divine’s name, she could not say anything. The police then asked Divine her name and she said it.

“Divine was asked if she knew her mother’s number and when she was given a telephone, she dialed her mother’s number. That was how the real mother was told to come and pick up her child at Okokomaiko Police Station.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that the police were still working to unravel if Alabi was working alone or had accomplices.

The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Umaru Manko, confirmed the incident. He said, “Alabi was arrested at Okokomaiko last week when passengers in the commercial bus she boarded, raised the alarm that she was abducting Divine.”