The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old school bus driver, Onome Ughagha, over the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a 14-year-old female student in Sapele.
The suspect was reportedly arrested after allegedly demanding and collecting N503,000 in ransom from the victim’s father.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
According to the statement, the victim’s father reported the incident at the Sapele Area Command on Tuesday, alleging that the suspect abducted his daughter while she was preparing to leave for school.
“The suspect subsequently contacted him (the father), demanded N503,000 and threatened to kill the minor if the ransom was not paid,” the statement said.
The police said the victim was abandoned along Oton Road, Sapele, after the ransom was paid. She was subsequently reunited with her family in a traumatised condition, with indications that she had been sexually assaulted.
Following the report, operatives of the Sapele Area Command commenced an investigation, while the victim was taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment.
The school’s principal and vice-principal were also invited for questioning as the police intensified efforts to apprehend the suspect, who reportedly abandoned the school bus and fled.
The suspect was eventually traced to his hideout in the Ajimele area of Sapele through credible intelligence and arrested on Friday.
The police spokesperson said the suspect reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime during preliminary interrogation.
He added that arrangements were underway to transfer the suspect to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Asaba for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Samuel Erale, condemned the incident and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting children from violence and exploitation.
E rale assured that the investigation would be thorough and that anyone found culpable would be brought to justice.
The police commissioner also urged school authorities, parents and transport operators to exercise greater vigilance in safeguarding children, stressing that their safety must remain a priority.