Patience Ogbo/
A waiter, who tried to get rich quick by kidnapping his boss’ grandson, is now in police net.
Meshack Felix was arrested by officers attached to the Anti-kidnapping Squad in Lagos, along with his younger brother, Chinecherem, who allowed his bank account to be used for the collection of ransom.
Lagos State commissioner of police (CP) Imohimi Edgal while parading the suspects at the state command headquarters in Ikeja today urged parents and guardians to be cautious of persons they employ.
He said, “On the 4th of June 2018, the command received a compliant from one Mary Chidi of Dog Kennel Railway Compound Ebute Metta, Lagos, that she suspected that one Meshack Felix who worked as a waiter in her restaurant abducted her 3-year-old son and took him to unknown destination. She also stated that two days after, the disappearance of her son, the said Meshack texted her a Diamond Bank account number 0081873532 belonging to one Chinecherem Felix demanding a ransom of N600,000 else the boy would be killed.”
Edgal added that following the compliant, he directed the Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-kidnapping Squad to investigate the crime.
He said, “The Squad went into action immediately and covertly located the suspects at Lokpanta Autonomous Community of Umu-Nneochi area of Abia State, where the two suspects were arrested. The police rescued the boy unhurt and he has since been reunited with his family.”
Narrating how his son was kidnapped, Mr. Chidi said, ” The boy is my only child. He is staying with his mother in my mother-in-law’s house. My mother in-law has a restaurant and my boy stays with her and my wife.
“Sadly, when nobody was paying attention, Meshack took my son away. He kidnapped him and took him to Abia State. This is a young man I felt needed help and as an Igbo man like me, I decided to help him. I gave him my clothes and shoes to help him look good but look at the way he repaid me.”
Grandmother of the kidnapped boy said, “This is a boy (Meshack) I helped because he came into my restaurant and begged for a job. I made a mistake by not asking for a guarantor or do any due diligence. I paid him N800 every day but he had ulterior motives against me and my family.”
The suspect blamed himself for the kidnapping.
He said, ” My brother Chinecherem does not know anything about the kidnapping. I kidnapped the boy alone and demanded for the ransom so that I can get money to buy equipment for my welding job. I am a welder by profession, but there is no money for me to start on my own business.”
The other suspect Chinecherem said, “I am a trainee Fashion Designer in Imo State. My elder brother Meshack called me to send my bank account to him so he can send me N4000 for feeding. That was how he got my bank account. When I went to the village and saw the boy with him, he told me that the boy is his son. I don’t know anything about the kidnapping.”
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