…suspect allegedly collected ₦503,000 ransom before abandoning victim along Oton Road
The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old school bus driver, Onome Lucky Ughagha, over the alleged abduction and sexual assault of a 14-year-old female student in Sapele, with the suspect accused of demanding and collecting ₦503,000 from the victim’s father as ransom.
The arrest followed an investigation into a complaint lodged by the girl’s father at the Sapele Area Command on October 20, 2026.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, on October 25, the father alleged that the suspect abducted his daughter while she was preparing to leave for school.
The suspect reportedly contacted the victim’s father after the alleged abduction, demanded ₦503,000 and threatened to kill the minor if the money was not paid.
After the ransom was allegedly collected, the victim was reportedly abandoned along Oton Road in Sapele, where she was reunited with her family in a traumatised condition, with indications that she had been sexually assaulted.
Following the report, operatives of the Sapele Area Command immediately launched an investigation, while the victim was taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment.
As part of the investigative process, the school’s principal and vice principal were invited for questioning, while police intensified efforts to locate the suspect, who had allegedly abandoned the school bus and fled.
The breakthrough came on October 23, when operatives, acting on credible intelligence, traced Ughagha to a hideout in the Ajimele area of Sapele and arrested him.
The police statement added that the suspect reportedly confessed to his involvement in the alleged crime during preliminary interrogation.
He is expected to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Asaba, for further investigation.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Samuel E. Erale, condemned the alleged crime and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting children against violence, abuse and exploitation.
Erale assured that the investigation would be thorough and that anyone found culpable would be brought to justice.
The police commissioner also urged school authorities, parents and transport operators to strengthen safeguards for children, stressing that the safety of pupils entrusted to their care must remain a top priority.
The incident has renewed attention on the need for vigilance in school transportation and stronger measures to protect children from abuse and criminal exploitation.
