The family of a seven-year-old girl, Mercy Akande, has expressed frustration after being asked by the police in Ogun State to pay a total of N40,000 to facilitate the search for the missing child.
The girl was reportedly abducted on Monday, December 23, in the Sango Ota area, after being lured away by an unidentified man described as a regular customer at her mother’s Point of Sale (POS) terminal.
Narrating the incident, a family member, Jude, said the suspect had gained the trust of the family by frequently visiting the shop to withdraw money and buy recharge cards.
He said ” on the day of the abduction, he bought food for Mercy and sent her on an errand to buy sachet water.
“The man approached her halfway as she returned with the sachet water. Her mother noticed but was distracted by other customers.
“By the time she turned back to check, both her daughter and the man were gone,” Jude said.
Efforts to locate Mercy were unsuccessful, and repeated calls to the man’s phone went unanswered before the line became unreachable.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Mercy’s cousin, identified as Miyakee, it was revealed that the family reported the incident at a nearby police station.
However, they were shocked when the police demanded N10,000 to register the case and an additional N30,000 to track the suspect’s phone number.
“We have reported to a police station in Sango, and the struggling mom has been asked to pay a total of N10,000 to report the case (she has done that).
“To track the guy’s phone number, she must pay N30,000 and get a court affidavit to take to the MTN office,” Miyakee wrote.
The family also disclosed that they were billed N8,000 to write a statement and N2,000 to print pictures of the missing girl.
Despite paying the initial fees, the police have reportedly made no significant progress in locating the child.
Efforts to obtain a court affidavit were delayed due to the Christmas holiday, further stalling the investigation.
When contacted for comments, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, denied the allegation.
Odutola, in a statement, described it as misleading, claiming, however, that “contrary to the allegations, there was no demand for forty thousand naira.
“However, the police officer who received the complaint at the counter acted unprofessionally, as the matter was not escalated to the Divisional Police Officer, which is necessary for appropriate attention.
“Internal disciplinary measures have been meted out against the erring police officers for failing to notify the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the magnitude of the report.
“The Divisional Police Officer has since reached out to the victim’s family, who have provided valuable information, and efforts to locate the kidnappers and rescue the victim unharmed have commenced.
“The public is urged to disregard this misinformation and to assist the Ogun State Police Command by sharing the pictures of the kidnapped victim to help facilitate her safe return.
“Furthermore, we solicit anonymous information from well-meaning individuals to assist the police in tracking and arresting the kidnappers.”
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