Twenty-eight years old Augustine Gladys, the apprentice that abducted her boss’ three-year-old daughter two months ago at Alagbado area of Lagos, yesterday, told a bewildered crowd at the Lagos State Police Command that deceit on the part of her sponsor and her desperation to get money to rent a shop made her commit the crime.
Recall that Gladys, who told her boss she was Grace John, was arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos State Police Command on February 23.
She, subsequently, led operatives to Abia State where the abducted child was discovered to have been sold to three consecutive buyers; the third bought her for N500,000.
Gladys was paraded alongside two grandmothers alleged to have been involved in the sale of the rescued child.
Gladys said her sponsor, whose identity she gave simply as Samuel, contracted her to assist him get his child, whom he claimed was with another man.
According to the suspect, “I came to Lagos five years ago and have been working as a house help since then. When I had saved enough money, I rented a shop at Ilaje, where I was selling.
“Along the line, a woman, who claimed to be the real owner of the shop, drove me out. While I was looking for money to rent another shop, I met Samuel, who said he had a job for me.
“He told me that his former girlfriend had a child for him, but would not want to release her to him. He said that the lady was married and that effort made to collect the child from her had failed.
“He took me to the woman’s shop at Alagbado, where I pretended to be an apprentice. A week after resumption, I took my boss’ three-year-old daughter away. Samuel met me at Kola Bus Stop and instructed me to take the child to his mother (one of the suspects) in Onitsha.
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“I was paid N60,000 at the end of the day. N50,000 for the job and N10,000 for transport. I did not know that the child was not his, neither did I know I was sent to abduct her. I only agreed to do the job because of my desperation to raise money to rent a shop.”
Suspects narrate business connections
On her part, one of the women, who was arrested alongside Gladys, Mrs Rita Eze, a retired midwife, also claimed ignorance of the abduction saga.
Asked how she got to know Samuel, she claimed to have met him last December at a function organised by her old classmate.
According to the 50-year-old Eze, “Samuel informed me on phone that her girlfriend would be bringing his child to me to take care of. When the child arrived, I told him I could not take care of her and he insisted I sold her to any available buyer.
“I gave the child to this woman (pointing to the third suspect), who paid me N500,000. Out of the amount, I gave Gladys N60,000 and collected only N40,000. The balance of N400,000 was paid into Samuel’s account.”
However, the third suspect, Ogochi Nweke, 60, who walks with the aid of a stick, claimed to have contacted the former to assist her get a child for a friend from a motherless baby’s home.
Nweke, who claimed to have met Eze at a prayer house in Anambra State, said: “She contacted me two weeks after the request that she had found a baby for my childless friend, Elizabeth.
“I asked if it was genuine, she said yes. She told me it would cost N500,000 to get the baby, which was paid. I did not even get a dime from the business.”
Parading the suspects before newsmen, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Fatai Owoseni, said the suspects would be charged to court at the completion of investigation.
Father’s reaction
Meanwhile, the child’s elated father, Mr. Elesh Adebiyi, said: “We give God praise and also thank Vanguard for the assistance rendered. Our daughter is hale and hearty.
“We are particularly grateful to the Lagos State Police Command in particular and the Nigeria Police in general. This feat has further re-affirmed my confidence in the police.”
