Teacher wrongly accused of kidnap demands apology

A school teacher, Mr.Olakunle Elewuro, is demanding a public apology from one Buhari, who allegedly accused him of kidnapping his son, Qudus Buhari, and branding him a ritual killer in his community.

The alleged missing boy, Qudus, was said to be a classmate of Elewuro’s 13-year-old Senior Secondary School 1 son. With their level of closeness, it was assumed that Eniola should know the whereabouts of his friend.

Elewuro, who is a resident of Dauda Buhari Street, Papa, Epe, said Buhari came to his house on Friday, April 11, 2014, at about 7pm to ask Eniola if he knew the whereabouts of his son. Eniola was said to have answered in the negative. He added that Buhari asked them to search his premises, which they did, but found nothing.

Elewuro said, “At about 10pm the same day, they came knocking violently on my door. This time, with more people, saying that one spiritual Alfa had asked them to come back to our house, as my son, Eniola, would know the whereabouts of his friend. They were allowed into the house for the second time and they searched to their satisfaction and left.

“On Sunday April 13, 2014 at about 3pm, four vehicles drove into my compound, led by the father of the missing boy, and started beating up everybody found in the house. I was away from home at the time; it was my wife and three of my children that were at home. They vandalised the house and one of them stabbed one of my sons, Tayo.

“The boy was taken to Epe Police Station and the police also came to my house to see the extent of damage done.”

Elewuro further claimed that he was subsequently detained by the Epe Police Division along with his 13-year-old son and taken to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Yaba, Lagos.

“A few days later, the police at SCID urged both parties to search for the missing boy. Buhari later reported to the police on April 25, two weeks after his son was declared missing, that his son had been found.

“When we reported to SCID on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, the missing boy claimed that he was snatched on his way from school in a black jeep and was dropped in Ijebu Ode. The boy’s statement did not link my son to his disappearance, contrary to the spiritualist’s claim that my son would know the whereabouts of his friend.

“The police subsequently ordered the Buhari’s family to make a public apology in a national newspaper so as to restore the damaged reputation of my family, but up till now, they have yet to do so, saying that they could not afford the financial implication.”

But Buhari said the behavior of Elewuro made him to suspect him, as he did not allow his son to explain himself when he was asked of his friend’s whereabouts.

He said, “But we thank God that the boy has been found, and on the issue of apology, I have done a publication in a local newspaper here and have even gone to a TV station to make an announcement that my son has been found, yet they are not satisfied.”