An Ondo State Magistrate Court, sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has remanded a 16-year-old boy, Lekan Mustapha and his guardian, Zulum Yisa, for alleged kidnapping.
The teenager, during his arraignment on Tuesday, February 28, told the court that they used biscuits and magical rings to abduct nine children and took the victims to one Islamic cleric in Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
The suspects were arrested by men of the Ondo State Security Network Agency also known as Amotekun, at Oka-Akoko, the Headquarters of Akoko North-West Local Government Area of the state, in February 2023 and arraigned before the court on one count of kidnapping.
At the proceeding, the state counsel. O.F Akeredolu, informed the court that the defendants were involved in kidnappings, adding that they had confessed to have kidnapped up to nine children.
He said the offence committed contravened sections 3(ii)b and 6 of the Ondo State Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Abduction Law, 2010.
Mustapha told the court that he worked for Yisa, who is a member of the syndicate working for one Alfa in Lagos.
He stated that the Alfa gave Yisa a magical ring they used to hypnotise the victims.
“l started living with Yisa after the death of my parents some years ago for survival, and we both came from Ilorin down to this place,” he said.
“Whenever we want to kidnap our victim, Yisa will give me biscuits to entice the children and lure them to him.
“And immediately, he would use his charm ring to beat them, they would become unconscious.
“We normally transfer them ( the victims) to Alfa (in Ikorodu). We have kidnapped up to nine children.”
The prosecutor asked the court to remand the defendants at the Olokuta Correctional Centre till the outcome of advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In his ruling, the Magistrate, Damilola Sekoni, ordered the remand of Yisa at the Correctional Centre.
He also ordered the teenager to be taken to the juvenile remand home till the outcome of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions’ advice.
He adjourned the case till March 28, 2023, for mention.
