Delta Police Arrest School Bus Driver Over Alleged Kidnapping, Sexual Assault of 14-Year-Old Student
By Our Correspondent
The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old school bus driver, identified as Onome Ughagha, over the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a 14-year-old female student in Sapele, Delta State.
The suspect was also accused of demanding and collecting ₦503,000 as ransom from the victim’s father before the police arrested him.
The spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to the police, the case was reported at the Sapele Area Command on Tuesday by the victim’s father, who alleged that the suspect abducted his daughter while she was preparing to leave for school.
The father reportedly raised the alarm after discovering that his daughter had been taken away under circumstances that prompted concerns about her safety.
Preliminary information indicated that the suspect allegedly demanded money from the girl’s father and collected ₦503,000 in connection with the abduction.
Following the report, operatives of the Sapele Area Command reportedly commenced an investigation that led to the suspect’s arrest.
The arrest forms part of the police response to the allegations of kidnapping and sexual assault involving a minor.
The police are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction, establish how the suspect allegedly took the student away, and determine the events that followed.
Investigators will also seek to establish the circumstances under which the ransom was demanded and collected, as well as gather evidence relating to the alleged sexual assault.
The police spokesperson, Edafe, confirmed the arrest in the statement but further details about the recovery of the victim, the precise circumstances of the alleged assault and the next stage of the investigation should be confirmed from the command’s full statement.
The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of schoolchildren, particularly the need for parents, schools and transport operators to maintain effective safeguards against kidnapping, abuse and other forms of exploitation.
School bus drivers and other personnel entrusted with transporting children occupy positions of significant responsibility. Parents and school authorities are therefore expected to ensure that appropriate background checks, supervision and child-protection procedures are in place.
Security experts have also repeatedly emphasised the importance of promptly reporting suspected abductions to the police and preserving any information that could assist investigations.
Suspect Faces Possible Prosecution
The suspect could face criminal charges if the allegations are substantiated by the police investigation and the prosecution establishes the case before a competent court.
Kidnapping and sexual offences involving minors are serious criminal matters under Nigerian law, and the applicable charges and penalties will depend on the evidence and relevant legal provisions.
The suspect remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty by a court of law.
The Delta State Police Command is expected to provide further information as investigations progress.
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