A KIDNAP suspect, Grace John, yesterday alleged that she was deceived into kidnapping her mistress’ daughter by a man who claimed to be the child’s biological father.
John, apprentice of Mrs. Oluwatobiloba Adebiyi, mother of Oluwasemilore, who was kidnapped in Lagos but found in Abia State, said one Samuel told her that the baby is his.
John was paraded at the Lagos State Police Command yesterday with two other women, Rita Eze and Ugochi Nweke, who allegedly bought the girl from her.
According to the apprentice, Samuel told her that Mrs Adebiyi got pregnant for him before marrying another man.
She said in January, Samuel took her to the woman’s shop at Alagbado from where she took the child to a woman said to be her grandmother.
John denied kidnapping other children across the state, insisting that she is not a kidnapper.
The police said the child was sold to three persons for N500,000 and N600,000 before she was rescued in Aba, Abia State.
But John said: “Samuel told me the woman is his former girlfriend who married another man and that he wanted to take his child from her for proper care. Samuel took me to the woman’s shop in Alagbado. I pretended that I wanted to learn bead making from her and we agreed on the modalities.
“After seven days, I told the woman I was going to buy Gala and I took the girl with me to Kola Bus Stop where I met Samuel, who instructed me to take her to his grandmother in Onitsha, Anambra State, because he is in school.
“The following day, I boarded a bus to Onitsha and met the woman (Rita Eze). I handed over the child to her and she gave me N60,000 for transport.
“I never knew the child was not Samuel’s and I have never thought what I did was kidnapping. I just wanted to help a man who cried to me that his child is not being properly taken care of. I have not done it before.”
Eze said she knew Samuel through an old classmate of hers, who told her they needed someone to take care of his child.
She claimed after taking delivery of the child, Samuel told her to sell the girl and she did.
The suspect said: “I met my old friend at an event in December and she told me her nephew (Samuel) has a child and that they needed someone to take care of the child.
“She gave Samuel my number and he called to say his girlfriend will bring a child from Lagos. When Grace brought the girl, Samuel told me to sell the girl which I gave to Ugochi.
“Ugochi gave me N500,000. I gave Grace N60,000 and took N40,000. I sent the rest to Samuel. I never knew him before, I thought the child was his. I never knew the child was kidnapped. I only accepted to help sell the child because I needed money to pay my house rent.”
Nweke denied knowing the baby was kidnapped, adding that she did not collect a dime from the deal.
She said she accepted to buy the baby for a friend of hers who has no child.
Nweke said: “I told Rita if she has or knows any motherless child that I have someone who is in need of a child to adopt and she told me she will get back to me.
“When she called me that she has the child, I asked if it is genuine and she said yes. I informed my friend who provided the money. I never took anything from the money. I handed everything to Rita.”
Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni said the suspects would be prosecuted.
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