Photo: How Mobile Policeman Almost Used Neighbour’s 8-Year Old Daughter For Rituals

But for God’s intervention and neighbours help. A mobile
Police officer who lives in Ketu would have succeeded in using his neighbour’s
8-year old daughter for rituals. The man who has four cars including a jeep
escaped been mobbed because he had earlier dashed out of his apartment before
neighbours found the girl in his room. 

Neighbours who peeped through the window
saw the girl’s hands and legs tied down and a cloth forced down her throat trying
to rescue herself in a pool of her own blood. They alerted other neighbours who
went to report at the nearest police station, before the door was forced open.
Find the story after the cut.

Aggrieved youths, weekend, attempted to set a Mobile
Policeman’s apartment on Olufowobi Street in Ikosi area of Ketu, Lagos
ablaze  following the discovery of an
eight-year-old missing girl in his room.

The girl identified as Amarachi, who was  unconscious, had her  hands, legs and mouth tied. She also had a
deep cut on her skull when she was rescued.

Vanguard gathered that Amarachi was last seen at about 4pm
on Thursday, after going on an errand for the Mobile Policeman identified as
Corporal Gbuchenge Augustine, with Force number 400823. The  Policeman lives in the same compound with
parents of the girl at 1, Olufowobi Street.

But apprehension set in after her father, Mr Patrick
Abakwan, returned at about 7.30pm and requested to see his daughter.

Speaking with Vanguard, Abakwan said: “The first person I
sought after when I came back was Amarachi. I was told she had gone to sleep.
But when I went  inside, I did not see
her. I only met her mother who was with a visitor.

“At that point, we went outside to look for her in the midst
of  other children who were playing. One
of them told me that olopa (policeman) sent her to buy akara (beans cake).

“One of the children even said he saw olopa carrying my
daughter while she was asleep into hi s room. I peeped into Augustine’s
room  and also placed my mouth on the key
hole and shouted my child’s name but there was no response.

“At that point, he came out and said my child was not there.
I thereafter, went round the neigbourhood in search of her. When I came back, I
was told olopa left the room in anger after my wife confronted him to tell her
all he knew about our missing daughter.

“They said he angrily left the compound, saying he was going
to report at the station that he was being accused of kidnap.”

Girl found

“At that point, some curious residents were said to have
peeped through the room, where to their amazement, they saw someone bound in
both legs and hands, struggling to free herself.

“Policemen from Ketu were reportedly contacted following
which the door of the mobile policeman’s  
apartment was forced open only to find the girl in the pool of her
blood.

“When we went inside the room with the policemen, Amarachi’s
body was under the bed. Only her legs were outside and she was still struggling
slowly to free herself. She could not talk.

“The policeman had twisted her neck and used an object to
break her skull thinking she would die in the process but God saved her. We
rushed her to Dafe Medical Hospital where they refused to admit her before
taking her to the Island General Hospital.”

How I was almost killed— Girl

When Vanguard visited the hospital, Amarachi was seen with a
plaster on her head and a neck crest.

According to her, “he first sent me to buy him akara and
later recharge card. When I came back, he asked me to wait a while. Later I
heard my father calling me. I told him I was going to meet my father and
collect what he bought for me from work.

“But he grabbed me and laid me on the floor, saying he would
kill me if I shouted. He tied my mouth with a cloth and also tied my neck. He
later brought a knife and hit me severalty on the head. That is all I
remembered until I woke up and found myself in the hospital.”

Ritual purpose suspected

Residents of the area accused the fleeing Mobile policeman
of being a ritualist. Their accusation followed the discovery of several
children’s clothes and shoes reportedly found under his bed.

One of the residents said: “He packed into the compound four
years ago. Since then, he has always been travelling every time. He has four
cars.  Most nights, we usually saw him
carrying a Ghana Must go into his jeep, only to return at about 4 a.m.

“He just came back from one of the trips on Thursday. We
suspect he intended using the girl for ritual 
because a Ghana must Go bag with which he wanted to put the butchered
body was found in the room.”

Police react

Contacted, spokeswoman for the Lagos State Police Command,
Ngozi Braide, said: “I heard about the wicked act and we have started
investigation.

“I have contacted the Commander in charge of Mopol 22 which
is where the complainant alleged the suspect is working. The Commander said
there was no such name or identity in his squadron.

“Meanwhile, we have sent signals to other police departments
and stations to ascertain if this man is actually a serving policeman. The act
is inhuman and whoever did that will never go unpunished.”