Officers of Amotekun corps have announced the arrest of a suspected kidnapper and trafficker.
The suspect, 29-year old Ayodeji Oluwadamilare was apprehended in Ibadan, on Saturday, four days after hiding two girls with intention of taking them to Italy to work.
Ayodeji said he moved 17-year-old Azeezat Alimi and 16-year-old Haleemat Sarumi from Lagos to Ibadan after the two girls were interested in his plan to travel to Italy.
Ayodeji, who is related to Haleemat as a Cousin, earlier had shown the girls a video of his elder sister in Italy seeking for persons who will like to come over to perform menial jobs.
While the girls were in his custody, Ayodeji, called their parents to collect N5,000 and then N85,000 each to enable the return of the girls to their respective homes.
The families of these children declared their wards lost, the girls in a response sent messages to their parents that they should not be searched for and that they are fine.
Speaking the Amotekun office in Ibadan, Haleemat said her resolve to leave home was propelled by the constant physical abuse she suffered in the hands of her dad.
Haleemat said she told Azeezat of the plan to flee from home and go to Italy and jointly plotted with Ayodeji to request N85,000 from their respective parents to return home.
She said she was sure beyond doubts that the woman was going to use them for prostitution, this was after she spoke with her.
The suspect, Ayodeji stated he wanted to alleviate the girls of their suffering as he regarded them as his sisters hence his decision to kindly help them into Italy.
Ayodeji said it was the girls that chose not to go back to Lagos and that his sister abroad guaranteed that they will get their passports to Italy in Kaduna.
Mr Tajudeen Alimi, father of Azeezat, speaking at the Amotekun office on how the arrest was made, said he reported the case at a Lagos police station where they used a tracking device, it was discovered that the girls were ferried from Ajah to Agege, before ending up at Aperin in Ibadan.
Alimi reported that Ayodeji continued to call relatives of the two girls to ask for the payment of N85,000.
Relying on a strategy masterminded by Amotekun, he said Ayodeji was baited to Arisekola mosque, Iwo Road, to collect his requested N85,000 for each girl, this was how he was arrested.
Alimi Mausi, Mother of Azeezat, noted that Ayodeji requested N15,000 for a test as part of travelling prerequisites and then N85,000 for damages to get another set of girls for Haleemat and Azeezat replacement if released.
Mrs Sarumi Folashade, the mother of Haleemat, also spoke in the same vein, said Ayodeji called her and offered to take her daughter abroad because he could not bear the maltreatment she was suffering.
Before Ayodeji’s request, she said Haleemat told her that she was not happy with the maltreatment and go out and look for a job, but never told her about going abroad.
Commandant, Oyo Amotekun, Colonel Olayinka Olayanju (rtd) said both Ayodeji and the two girls will be transferred to officers of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti where the case was initially reported.
