FCT Command of the State Security Service (SSS) has arrested a 43-year-old man, Saturday Dewakei, said to have abducted and killed a five-year-old boy.
Mr Ibrahim Halilu, the assistant director in charge of the command’s operations, told newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja that the suspect was arrested on Aug. 25 at Aso C, Gbagalape, a settlement in Nyanya, FCT.
Halilu said that Dewakei, a native of Azegbane village of Ekeremor Local Government in Bayelsa and father of 10, kidnapped the boy and demanded a N5 million ransom from the father.
He said the victim was the son of the suspect’s neighbour, one Adamu Isa.
“On April 19 at about 12.45 p.m, Dewakei sneakily entered Isa’s house through the ceiling and kidnapped the victim while he was asleep.
“Thereafter, Dewakei demanded a N5 million ransom from the father for the release of the kidnapped boy.
“Investigation revealed that Dewakei killed the child in an uncompleted building and dumped the body in a septic tank when the ransom was not paid,’’ he said.
He said that a locally made revolver pistol with one round of live ammunition was recovered from the the suspect’s house.
Halilu said that the suspect took operatives of the service to the scene of the crime, where the remains of the boy were recovered.
He said the suspect would be arraigned and prosecuted upon completion of investigation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the service displayed some skeletons said to be part of the remains of the boy before newsmen.
Speaking with newsmen, the suspect confessed to kidnapping the victim, identified as Sadiq Abubakar, in order to extort money from his family.
“I did not kill him personally but unfortunately, the boy died on the day I went to collect the N100,000 ransom which the father (Isa) arranged to give me,’’ he said.
Dewakei claimed that the boy fell into the septic tank as he attempted to escape.
“He did not die instantly; I looked at him and saw he was unconscious. So I was looking for ladder to rescue him but there was no ladder.
“The soak-away was so deep, I cannot jump inside. If I jump inside, I will not come out,’’ he said.
He said that when he eventually got a ladder to rescue the boy, “he died in my hand.’’
“I did not kill him intentionally; I did not have the mind to kill him. The mind I have, because of frustration, was to kidnap him and make money,’’ he said.
He said he collected the N100,000 and demanded for another N300,000, adding that he was about to collect the N300,000 when he was arrested.
The suspect, who claimed to be an electrician, however denied ever kidnapping anybody before the incident or belonging to a kidnapping syndicate.
He said that the gun recovered from him was given to him while he was vice chairman of his community and member of its vigilante to protect it against sea pirates.
