Police arrest kidnap suspect who posed as a computer instructor to abduct 9-year-old pupil

The Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigerian Police Force has apprehended a kidnap suspect who pretended to be a computer teacher in order to kidnap a 9-year-old student from a private school in Nasarawa State.

Teleheem Kamaldeen, the suspect, was apprehended on Sunday, three days after collecting an N1.5 million ransom from the victim's parents in exchange for his release.

During questioning of the abduction suspect, the 29-year-old admitted that he had been watching the youngster and his parents for two months before kidnapping them.

“I've been watching him for two months, waiting for the proper chance to kidnap him,” he says. His parents reside in New Nyanya, which is close to where I live.

He was always taken to and from school in his parents' automobile.

“I chose to kidnap him on their vacation day since parents frequently picked up their kids earlier than the customary closing time on that day.”

“When I arrived at the school, I noticed that getting inside the building wasn't as tough as I had anticipated. While the students were playing, others were free to come and leave.

“I circled the room until I found him among his classmates.

His mother had hired me to teach him how to use a computer, I informed him.

He was overjoyed. He didn't hesitate to follow me. I informed his teacher that I was his computer instructor and that I had arrived to enroll him in his class.

“I brought him to a hotel, turned on my laptop, and began teaching him how to use it.” He couldn't take his eyes off the computer till the battery died.

It was late by then, so I told him we'd continue the following day and that his parents were aware of his being with me.

“I called his parents to notify them that I had taken their son.” For his release, I requested N4 million. After considerable haggling and pleading from his parents, I consented to collect N1.5 million.

I told them to bury the money in a bushy area near Abuja. He replied, “When they did, I released their son to them.”

“As a phone repairer, individuals brought their phones for repairs,” the suspect said in response to the issue of why he went into abduction.

Some of them would sometimes request that their repaired phones be replaced with new ones. To acquire a new phone, all they have to do is add some money.

I was unable to purchase new phones due to a lack of funds.

I planned to use the ransom to purchase new phones, which I would then sell and exchange with customers' fixed phones.”

The Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba, advised school owners to put systems in place that would monitor people who come and remove children from schools.

According to the police PRO, if this is not done, officers would be forced to arrest and prosecute school owners alongside criminals.