AS is typical of a dysfunctional society, the Nigerian polity is suffused with assorted crimes and criminals, many of whom are driven to engage in acts of indiscretion and outright evil by systems failure, frustration, despondency and, more significantly, the impairment of the moral value system. Worse still, and for the same reasons, there are many innocent citizens who unwittingly become easy targets for criminals. The reported kidnapping of the baby of citizen Olaide Adekunle by criminals who posed as operatives of a non-governmental organisation devoted to helping women and children is yet another dimension to criminality in the country. The 33-year-old woman who had allegedly escaped from Ifo, Ogun State, to Igando in Lagos State to hawk water and other drinks in order to raise money to pay the debts she owed some microfinance banks did not bargain for what she got from the people she thought were good Samaritans in Lagos.
The criminals masquerading as public spirited persons had always helped to carry and care for her baby while she hawked to prevent the baby from being exposed to the scorching sun. They allegedly did that for a while and returned the baby to her before they later cunningly disappeared with her. Apparently, the felons exploited Olaide’s naivety and poverty to dispossess her of her daughter who is yet in their custody. And in spite of traceable bank transactions between her and the kidnappers, the police have yet to apprehend the situation by zeroing in on the criminals, arresting them and rescuing the child. The lack of a headway by the police despite obvious leads in the case is worrying. For what kind of society would evolve from a situation in which the police continue to feign incapacity and allow criminals to ride roughshod on the country even while hiding in plain sight?
Though this case would appear to be somewhat shrouded in secrecy in terms of the fine details of what actually transpired as there is evidence of monetary transactions between the alleged kidnappers and the mother of the child, what is unequivocal is that a crime has been committed and the police have a duty to unravel it and apprehend the perpetrators. According to reports, the police got notice of the incident, became involved and witnessed a telephone conversation between the woman and the criminals who are keeping her daughter, with the felons even transferring money through a bank account, yet the police have not been able to resolve the case. Why is it difficult for the police to trace the owners of the account from which money was transferred to the woman when valid accounts operate on the basis of meeting unique Biometric Verification Number (BVN) and National Identity Number (NIN) requirements?
Assuming but not conceding that the initial narrative that the woman sold her baby in order to raise money to defray her overdue loan repayment obligations to some microfinance banks is correct, the police should still apprehend the buyers. A human being is not a commodity to be lawfully sold and bought. As such, both the alleged seller and buyer(s) must be held to account for their actions. Also, notwithstanding what actually transpired between the alleged kidnappers and the woman, two things are clear: one, poverty and ignorance must have predisposed Olaide to being easily hoodwinked to part with her baby under whatever guise; and two, the baby is still being held by those who have no right to her custody under the law. Those are the two issues that need to be decisively addressed. Official interventions are certainly needed to reduce misery in the land and reduce citizens’ predilection for precipitate and desperate measures to survive. On the other hand, the police must up their ante and work assiduously to rescue the child.
We urge the government and all concerned Nigerians to get involved with this case and put it on the front burner until the police expose those keeping Olaide’s daughter and rescue the child. Criminals should not be allowed to take the country for a ride. It is time the police stood up to the task of true policing with diligent investigation to unravel crimes. We enjoin the police to move swiftly to rescue Baby Adekunle and ensure that everyone who is complicit in her disappearance is apprehended and brought to book. It is criminal and morally reprehensible to allow the child to continue to suffer the consequences of the actions of devious adults.
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