A 7-year-old girl, Mercy Akande, has reportedly been kidnapped in Ogun State by a man who was a regular customer of her mother’s Point-of-Sale (POS) business.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, December 23, 2024, has sparked widespread concern and outrage on the social media platform, X, especially after allegations surfaced of corruption within the local police force.
According to a tweet by a concerned family member, Miyakee (using the handle #mimara_concept), the alleged kidnapper was familiar with the girl and had established a friendly relationship with her.
The man was said to frequently visit the POS shop, where he would purchase food and occasionally give the young girl money.
On the morning of December 23, the man, who is believed to have been a customer at the store for some time, allegedly sent Mercy on an errand to fetch a sachet of water.
When the girl was on her way back, the suspect reportedly met her halfway. The girl’s mother, Akande, noticed the interaction but was busy attending to other customers in the shop and was distracted. By the time she turned her attention back to her daughter, both the man and the girl had vanished.
Miyakee tweeted: “My cousin is missing. She was kidnapped by a stranger on the 23rd of December, 2024. The mom, my aunty, does POS business at Sango, Ogun State. She has a male customer who usually comes to withdraw money and buy recharge cards. He doesn’t stay in the area but became friends with the little girl, always buying her food and gifting her money.
On the morning of the 23rd, he came to the store, bought food for himself and the little girl, as usual. The mom was busy attending to other customers. He sent the little girl (a 7-year-old) to go get pure water for him. On her way back, he approached her halfway to get the pure water from her. The mom saw this and wasn’t comfortable with it but was distracted by other customers.”
After the disappearance, Mercy’s mother attempted to reach the suspect via phone. Initially, the man answered and claimed to be near the Sango underpass, promising to call back, but he never did. His phone later became unreachable. The family has since been unable to locate the suspect or the missing child.
The situation has raised significant concern on social media, where many Nigerians have expressed shock and frustration.
In a follow-up tweet, Miyakee shared further details about the police investigation, which has been marred by alleged corruption.
The family reported the case to the police station in Sango, Ogun State, but according to Miyakee, the police demanded N40,000 to continue the investigation—N10,000 for the case report and N30,000 to track the suspect’s phone.
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Miyakee wrote: “They asked her to pay N10,000 to report the case (she has done that) and bring N30,000 to track the guy’s phone number. She’ll be going back tomorrow to pay. So far, she’s only paid N8,000 to write her statement and N2,000 to print pictures of the missing girl. To track the phone number, she has to pay N30,000 and get a court affidavit to take to MTN’s office. She can’t get the court affidavit because of the holidays, so she has to wait until the 27th to pay the N30,000 and get the affidavit. It’s crazy.”
The family’s frustration was compounded by the lack of action, as the police reportedly asked for money at every stage of the investigation.
This prompted a response from the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who expressed disbelief at the alleged actions of the officers.
Adejobi, who responded via Twitter, labeled the demand for money as “inhuman and unprofessional,” emphasizing that families of missing persons should not have to pay for investigations.
“For a missing person? Asking for money to track? That’s inhuman and unprofessional. Let the family get to me pls. I need to handle it myself. Let them send me an SMS on my line. Thanks,” Adejobi tweeted.
The Ogun State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement regarding the case. However, Adejobi’s intervention has brought some attention to the matter, and many Nigerians have expressed hope that the police will expedite the investigation and focus on finding the missing child.
Mercy Akande’s family continues to search for the young girl, with the police investigation ongoing. The public remains concerned, with many calling for swift action and a resolution to this troubling incident.
