Jethro Ibileke/Benin
The use of the social media to entice and abuse unsuspecting and gullible girls has again reared its ugly head, following the kidnap of a 16-year-old girl, Victory (surname withheld), in Edo state, by a man she befriended through Facebook.
He said as their friendship grew stronger, he decided to invite her to his house which she accepted.
He however denied that he abducted her against her wish, adding that both of them planned her kidnap to raise money.
The teenage kidnap victim who admitted that they became friend through Facebook, said Micheal invited her to come to his house, which she obliged.
She said getting there, Michael abducted her and kept her for four days, raped her and also demanded for N4 million for her release.
“I met Michael on Facebook last month through a friend request he sent me which I accepted.
Elder sister of Victory, who gave her name as Rodha, said her sister was sexually abused before the police rescued her.
On the alleged plans by the two love birds to get married, she said: “My sister is 16 years old and has never slept outside before. She told me they met on Facebook and the boy professed love for her. When she went to the house, she said the boy hatched the plan and said he would collect N10,000 from our father, but the boy demanded for N4 million.
“He will lock her inside the house and called us, threatening that he will kill her if we did not pay. He took advantage of my sister’s condition.
“She told me the boy is 21 and a student, but she later saw that it was a lie. We took her for treatment after the rescue.”
Also paraded we’re three suspects that allegedly killed Prof. Paul Otasowie, of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in the University of Benin.
Late Prof. Otasowie was killed in October 4 at his residence at Evbuotubu area in Egor local government area.
The suspects who’s names were given as Osaze Oghogho, Best Ogumode and Happy Okoro, said they never intended to kill Prof. Otasowie but to collect his car and used it for armed robbery.
They said he was mistakenly shot when he rushed at Osaze who was holding the gun.
According to Osaze, “We decided to go for street robbery when we saw a vehicle driving out, so we decided to collect the car. I asked the man to give me the car keys but he threw the keys away. I shot into the air. As I was loading another bullet, the man attacked me and during the struggle, the gun exploded.”
The State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, who parraded the suspects to journalists, called on the members of the public to furnish the police with useful information that could lead to the arrest of all criminal elements in the state.
He said the command is ever ready to partner relevant bodies in the state to get rid of crimes and criminality in the state, adding that the suspects would soon be charged to court.
He listed items recovered within three weeks included five AK 47 rifles, military weapons. 33 cut to size guns, motor-cycles, 90 live AK 47 ammunition, 234 live cartridges, assorted vehicles and the sum of N1.2 million.