Fifteen-year-old Precious Nwaigwe, the Ogun schoolgirl that was abducted in the Ajah area of Lagos State by kidnappers based in Niger Republic, has been sold to men suspected to be pimps in Libya.
The victim’s mother, Blessing, told PUNCH Metro that investigations by the police had also shown that one of their relatives was involved in the kidnapping.
Our correspondent had reported on January 27 that Precious was kidnapped on Sunday, May 25, 2014.
Her father, Okoro, a trader, had told PUNCH Metro that his daughter was on holiday with him in the Ajah area.
He said he had bid her farewell on the fateful day at the Sangotedo bus stop while in a vehicle en route to her school, without knowing the bus was driven by kidnappers.
It was reported that a few weeks after the journey, the Nwaigwes got a call from Patience’s school, Ikenne Community College, Ikenne, Ogun State, that she had yet to arrive at the school.
The parents had subsequently reported to the police in the Ajah division.
It was reported that about two months after the kidnap, the victim’s parents got a call from the kidnappers in the Niger Republic, who demanded a ransom of $100,000.
In a follow-up, our correspondent reported that the kidnappers threatened to make Precious work for the ransom if it was not paid.
PUNCH Metro later reported that Precious had been sold to a pimp, who insulted her parents for disturbing them, saying they were merely doing business.
The victim’s father had expressed helplessness and frustration, saying the family had become bankrupt after spending on attempts to rescue her without getting any result.
The case was transferred from the Ajah Police Division to the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba, before it was taken over by men of the Anti-Robbery Squad of the command in Ikeja.
A police source told our correspondent on Wednesday that latest findings by the police showed that Precious had been sold to some people in Libya.
He said, “The girl is no more in the Niger Republic. She has been taken to Libya and the police have arrested one of those involved in the kidnap.
“The new suspect told us that the girl was no longer in his custody because she had been sold to some people suspected to be pimps in Libya.”
Precious’ mother, Blessing, told PUNCH Metro on the telephone on Wednesday that the family was aware that Precious had been sold to some people in Libya, adding that a new suspect had been arrested by the police.
She said the latest suspect was a relative.
She said, “The person that has just been arrested is one of our relatives.
“He is my cousin’s child and is currently with SARS. When we got his contact sometime in September last year from the kidnappers, we did not know he was the one because they gave us a different name.
It was during investigations that the police discovered that he is my relative.
“So, his family and our family had a meeting and he was invited to the meeting to resolve the issue.
“It was during the meeting that the police arrested him.
“The suspect said the girl was no longer with him.
“He told the police investigators that after he was paid N250,000, he released the girl to another person who took her to Libya.”
She said the kidnappers had called the family with more than 35 foreign numbers.
“The last time we spoke with Precious, she told us that she was now in Libya, “Blessing added.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Kenneth Nwosu, said he would call back.
He has, however, yet to do so as of press time.
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