The police said the whereabouts of the suspect are unknown as the case was not reported at any station The Lagos State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a yet-to-be-identified dispatch rider who was allegedly caught with a baby kept in his courier box.
The incident occurred on Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the Sangotedo area of the state.
The police also said efforts are underway to locate the whereabouts of the parents or guardians of the baby to enable it to conduct a proper investigation into the incident.
An uproar ensued in the Sangotedo area after residents apprehended the dispatch rider on suspicion of child abduction.
A video circulated on Twitter showed bewildered motorists, commuters, and passersby gathered near the scene of the incident.
The angry mob descended on the dispatch rider who made a futile attempt to plead his case.
The baby, clad in a singlet and a pair of shorts, was held by another man as the suspect was being driven away from the scene on a motorcycle.
One of the persons in the background can be heard screaming, “This is the child that was abducted.”
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, acknowledged the incident but insisted that the case was not reported at any police station in the state.
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In the statement issued on Saturday, police said “The command wishes to inform the public that the incident said to have taken place in Sangotedo area, Lekki, was not reported at any police station to enable the police to take appropriate actions.
“Notwithstanding that the incident was not reported, the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, has directed that efforts should be intensified to locate the whereabouts of the alleged dispatch rider and the parents or guardians of the child to enable the police to investigate the incident.”
The Sangotedo area comprising Ajah, Abijo, and Lekki environs is gradually becoming one of the notorious areas in Lagos state.
This incident comes amidst outrage over the gruesome murder of Bamise, a 22-year-old fashion designer who was allegedly killed after boarding a BRT vehicle.
