The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old school bus driver for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old female student in Sapele after demanding and collecting the sum of ₦503,000 ransom from her father.
The incident was reported at the Sapele Area Command on October 20 by the victim’s father who stated that the driver, Onome Lucky Ughagha, abducted his daughter while she was preparing to leave for school and took her to an unknown destination.
The driver was said to have subsequently contacted the father, demanded ₦503,000 and threatened to kill the girl if the ransom was not paid.
This made the man to source for the money and following the payment, the girl was abandoned along Oton Road, Sapele, where she was reunited with her family in a traumatised condition, with indications of sexual assault.
Following her release and the report received, operatives of the Sapele Area Command commenced investigations, while the victim was taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment.
“The school principal and vice principal were invited for questioning, while efforts were intensified to apprehend the driver, who had abandoned the school bus somewhere and disappeared,” the command said in a statement on Sunday, October 25.
Acting on credible intelligence, the operatives subsequently traced the man to his hideout in the Ajimele area of Sapele, where he was arrested on October 23.
During preliminary interrogation, he was said to have confessed his involvement in the incident while arrangements are underway to transfer him to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Asaba, for further investigation.
“The Commissioner of Police calls on school authorities, parents and transport operators to exercise greater vigilance in safeguarding children, stressing that the safety of every child entrusted to their care must remain paramount,” the command added.
