Oluwaseyi Samuel, age 41, ran a successful candy company in the Lagos State neighborhood of Ijora-Badia until a neighbor persuaded him to hire his teenage daughter.
Samuel extended an offer to hire the little girl as a salesgirl without realizing that she was a "lost person" and unrelated to his neighbor.
Two months later, Samuel was imprisoned after police raided his residence and took him into custody on charges of kidnapping, human trafficking, and defiling. In this issue, Samuel, who went on to become a pastor while he was incarcerated, tells the story of how his nice deed and reluctance to comply with the police's demand for a bribe caused him to serve five years in prison before the court allowed him to be released.Oluwaseyi Samuel is my name. In a prison, I received my pastorate. Before my stint in prison, I produced snacks.
I create a variety of delicacies in my home in Lagos' Ijora-Badia neighborhood, including meat pies, fish rolls, and egg rolls. I employed boys, and at the end of each month, I paid them.
Requesting assistance
On June 15, 2018, one of my neighbors named Michael Isaac visited me and begged me to assist his daughter, Favour.
I informed him that she may live in my flat with my other employees if she so chose, but that her sole job would be to help sell the snacks and receive payment. I spoke with the girl when she arrived, and
She instantly began working for me, but after two weeks, something shocking occurred.
disclosure of the true identity
I overheard Favour and her alleged father, Michael, bickering one Saturday morning.She revealed to me that Michael is not her father after I reprimanded her for yelling at her father.I felt stunned. Michael grudgingly told me that it was true. As I questioned Favour further, she admitted that she had once traveled alone from Abakaliki in Ebonyi State to Lagos in order to meet a relative, but that she had misplaced the paper holding the relative's address.
She described to me how she had been living beneath a bridge and pleading with passersby for help until one Alhaji hired her to sell fish for him. She claimed that she met Michael, who became a regular customer, when she was selling fish. She admitted to me that when she was employed by the Alhaji, Michael only treated her like his daughter.
The purported victim 'disappears,'
Following that occurrence, I informed Favor that she would need to go back to her parents' home in Ebonyi State but that she would need to give me till August to earn some money for her.
After that conversation, Favour abruptly vanished with my belongings and money a few days later. I searched for her desperately, but to no effect. When I asked my neighbor, Michael, where she was, he said that he was unsure. I urged my other neighbors to let me know if they ever saw her since I was quite concerned for her safety.
When neighbors see her in the area and let me know, she usually leaves before I arrive. It wasn't until until later that I learned she had also taken.Arrest
On September 9, 2018, I heard a knock at my door. As I opened it, I saw Favour with a few police officers and Isaac Nweze, who I later learned was Favour's biological father.
I replied "yes" when asked if I knew Favour. I informed them that she had fled with my money and possessions. I followed the policemen's orders to go to their station. I met my neighbor Michael and approximately seven other people who, according to what I was told, had previously worked for Favour at the police station.
Favour replied "no" when they inquired about whether or not I had sex with her while she was working for me. Her father slapped her as soon as she replied "no."Nweze was placed in a cell by the investigating police officer (IPO), who accused him of using his daughter to frame others. To my astonishment, when the Divisional Police Officer, or DPO, arrived, he commanded Nweze's release and suggested we resolve the situation amicably.
N70,000 is in demand.
Afterwards, the IPO demanded that we post N70,000 as bail, but I informed him that I didn't have that much cash and even if I had, I wouldn't give it up for something I hadn't done.
The IPO then clarified that a portion of the funds would be provided to Favour's father to help with the costs associated with his search for her. I informed him I wouldn't be paying.The DPO eventually intervened and advised that we resolve the issue amicably among us, but Favour's father refused. It was almost late by the time I could process my bail at the police station that day, so I consented to remain there till the following day.
Case forwarded to SARS
To my astonishment, I learned the next morning at 8:00am that the case had been given to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS, in Ikeja.
Then, Mr. Nweze reported a case of kidnapping and abduction against me to SARS, which is when I found out. A bribe was paid to the police by every other person who had been detained in connection with the case, save for Michael, and they all freed them.One of the SARS employees noted that it was impossible for my neighbor Michael and I to have abducted Favour and been having an intimate relationship with her while she refused to admit it.
Mr. Nweze claimed that we kidnapped his daughter and that if I don't reimburse him for the money he spent traveling to Lagos to look for her, I will suffer particularly.
I informed the police that another neighbor, who was aware of my good-hearted promise to help Favour, would appear and testify on my behalf.
However, that neighbor didn't come up since he was warned he would be detained by the police and implicated in the case, so he declined to go.I discovered that he went around my area, soliciting money from acquaintances, to pay the N70,000 that Favour's father had demanded as a need to drop the case against me, as opposed to showing up at the station. Only N39,000 could be raised by him.
I informed my IPO about the situation when I learned that someone was using my name to solicit donations from local residents while I was in custody. Regrettably, they were unwilling to consider my case. Despite my protests, Michael and I were both charged with kidnapping and defiling and were brought before the court.The case halted
I was initially charged with kidnapping and defiling at the Ogba Magistrate Court, but the case was eventually moved to the High Court after two years.
Favour and his father made just one court appearance over the two years the case was before the Magistrate Court. The prosecutor who grew close to Mr. Nweze threatened to throw me in jail if I didn't give them the money they demanded.
Before the DPP's suggestion and the transfer to the High Court, the case spent around 18 months in the Magistrate Court. The charges were changed to include defilement, abduction, and human trafficking when the case reached the Ikeja High Court.Life after Prison
Since all hope of my freedom had been gone in 2019, I surrendered my life to God while I was incarcerated. I instantly started doing God's will. I am appreciative of the Mind Changers program at Christ Embassy Church for changing my life.
My desire to serve God was rekindled, and other prisoners sought out my counsel and shared their difficulties with me. I was able to lead some of them to Christ through the grace of God. I eventually started to thank God throughout my time in prison for giving me the chance to work as a minister there.Perhaps I wouldn't have devoted my life to Christ if I hadn't entered prison.
regrets and lessons
While I was in prison, I lost a lot of stuff. My family dispersed after my arrest and arraignment. All the males that worked with me went, so consequently my business was grounded as well.
All of my possessions were also lost. I hired roughly three different attorneys to assist me with my case, but they all simply accepted my money and did nothing. Once they were disappointed, a non-governmental organization called Anchor Heritage took over my case without charging me and eventually managed to secure a solid attorney to handle my case up to my release. Favour and other police witnesses declined to testify, so the court released me.There was only the Anchor Heritage crew, lead by Mr. Bidemi Oladipupo, present to welcome me when the court released me.
They offered me money so I could see my father, who is 105 years old, in Osun State. I'm happy that God heard my father's prayer for him to see me alive before he passes away. I've been seeking for one of my boys ever since my discharge.
I was informed that he abandoned the family following my detention and has been aimlessly wandering the streets of Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Finding him and finding the funds to educate him and my other children are my prayers. I'm also pleading with Nigerians to assist me.
