The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old school bus driver, Onome Ughagha, over the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a 14-year-old female student in Sapele.
The suspect allegedly demanded and collected ₦503,000 as ransom from the victim’s father before abandoning the girl along Oton Road, Sapele.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Warri on Sunday.
According to Edafe, the incident was reported at the Sapele Area Command on October 20, 2026, by the victim’s father, who alleged that the suspect abducted his daughter while she was preparing to leave for school.
The police spokesman said the suspect subsequently contacted the father, demanded ₦503,000 and threatened to kill the minor if the ransom was not paid.
The girl was reportedly abandoned along Oton Road after the ransom was paid and later 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 commenced an investigation, while the victim was taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment.
The police also invited the school principal and vice-principal for questioning as efforts intensified to apprehend the suspect, who had reportedly abandoned the school bus and fled.
Edafe said the operatives, acting on credible intelligence, traced Ughagha to his hideout in the Ajimele area of Sapele, where he was arrested on October 23.
He added that the suspect reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime during preliminary interrogation.
According to the police spokesman, arrangements were being made to transfer the suspect to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Asaba for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel Erale, condemned the incident and reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting children from violence and exploitation.
E rale assured the public that investigations would be thorough and anyone found culpable would be brought to justice.
He urged school authorities, parents and transport operators to exercise greater vigilance in safeguarding children, stressing that the safety of every child entrusted to their care must remain a priority.
