Customer kidnaps 7-year-old girl in Ogun; family raises alarm over disappearance.

 The family of seven-year-old Mercy Akande has raised alarm after she went missing in Sango Ota, Ogun State. The incident occurred on Monday near her mother’s Point of Sale (PoS) shop. FCNN Metro learned that a regular customer, a yet-to-be-identified male, visited the shop, bought food for the girl, and then sent her on an errand to buy a sachet of water.

Upon her return, the man approached her halfway to collect the water. Mercy’s mother saw them briefly but was distracted by other customers. By the time she turned back to check on her daughter, both the man and the girl had disappeared.

The victim’s nephew, Jude, told FCNN that the man had frequently visited the shop, withdrawing money and buying recharge cards. He had become friendly with the girl, often buying her food and giving her money. On December 23, he again bought food for both himself and Mercy before sending her to buy the water.

Jude said the mother immediately launched a search but could not find her daughter. Calls to the man’s phone went unanswered, and his line became unreachable. The incident was reported at the nearest police station, but the family faced several obstacles in the investigation. The mother was asked to pay N10,000 to report the case and N30,000 to track the man’s phone number.

According to Jude, the mother paid N8,000 to write a statement and another N2,000 for the girl’s missing person photo. However, tracking the man’s phone number required an additional N30,000 and a court affidavit, which she could not obtain due to the holiday.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, did not respond to calls or messages as of the time this report was filed.