A 32-year-old painter, Chigozie Clement, has been arrested by officers of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly abducting his customer’s seven-year-old son in the Ketu Alapere area.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin, the suspect allegedly lured the child away from his home on Monday and later contacted the boy’s mother, demanding N7 million as ransom.
The boy’s father promptly reported the matter at the Alapere Police Division, after which the case was transferred to the command’s Special Squad I for further investigation.
Detectives eventually traced Clement to the Ijegun area, where he was apprehended, and the boy was rescued.
The statement read, “On August 25, 2025, the victim’s father reported at the Alapere Police Division that his son had been taken away from his house without his consent by his painter. Shortly after, the suspect called the victim’s mother, demanding the sum of N7,000,000 as ransom for the child’s release.
Following the report, the case was transferred to the Special Squad I of the Lagos State Police Command for a discreet investigation. On August 27, 2025, operatives traced the suspect to Ijegun, Lagos, where he was arrested, and the seven-year-old victim was rescued unhurt from a locked room where he had been held captive. The victim has since been reunited with his family.”
Hundeyin further disclosed that Clement confessed during questioning, saying he turned to kidnapping because he needed money to take care of his family.
The police added that he would soon be charged in court, while further investigations were ongoing to determine if others were involved.
“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh, reassures Lagos residents that the command will continue to deploy all available resources to combat crimes,” the statement added.
This is not the first time the command has dealt with such cases. In March, operatives arrested a couple, Emmanuel and Mmesoma Okafor, for allegedly abducting an online vendor in Iyana Ishashi. The vendor, who had gone to deliver a product, reported that she was stripped, assaulted, and photographed nude, after which a ransom of N2 million was demanded.
The suspects were later arrested after she managed to pay N300,000 and alerted the police.
