The Intelligence Response Team, IRT, detained a Mobile Technician on Sunday for abducting a nine-year-old kid from a private primary school in Nasarawa State’s New Nyanya area two weeks ago.

Teleheem Kamaldeen, the culprit, was apprehended three days after collecting a N1.5 million ransom for the pupil’s release.

During questioning, the 29-year-old suspect admitted that it took him two months to research the boy’s movements and the time his parents normally picked him up from school before he struck.

He said, “I have been monitoring him for two months, waiting for the right opportunity to abduct him. His parents live in the same area as me- New Nyanya. He was always driven in his parents’ car, to and from school.

“I decided to abduct him on their vacation day because parents usually went to pick their children earlier than the usual closing hour that day.

“When I got to the school I discovered that access into the premises wasn’t as difficult as I envisaged. People were going in and out freely while the pupils were playing.

“I walked around until I sighted him among his peers. I told him his mother had paid me to teach him how to operate a computer. He was very happy. He followed me without hesitation. I told his teacher that I was his computer instructor and that I came to pick him for his class.

“I took him to a hotel, put on my laptop, and started teaching him how to operate the computer. He was glued to the computer until the battery drained out. By then, it was late and I told him we would continue the next day and that his parents were aware he was with me.

“l put a call to his parents to inform them I had kidnapped their son. I demanded N4 million for his release. I later agreed to collect N1.5 million after much negotiation and plea from his parents. I instructed them to drop the ransom in a bush part close to Abuja. When they did, I released their son to them.”

The Oyo State- born suspect was asked why he got into kidnapping, “A a phone repairer, people brought their phones for repairs. Sometimes, some of them would request to swap their repaired phones with new ones. All they need to do is to add some money to get a new phone.

“I couldn’t afford new phones because I didn’t have the funds. I planned to use the ransom to purchase new phones, which I would then sell and swap with customers’ fixed phones.”

CP Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer, termed the crime as “non-violent but criminal,” and recommended school owners to put in place mechanisms to verify persons who bring and take children from schools.

Mba stated that if the required mechanisms are not put in place to prevent a reoccurrence in any school, the Police will be forced to arrest and prosecute school owners as well as suspects.