One Onyedinka Esiala has been caught in the Mile 2 area of Lagos State for using children with fake stomach tumour to beg for alms in the area.
Esiala, who hails from Enugu State, was nabbed on Wednesday after a passerby, identified as Benefit, exposed him.
The suspect, during his confessional statement accused one Uche, who he identified as his boss, as the brain behind the scam.
Esiala also said Uche brings new kids to Lagos every time he travels to the Eastern part of the country, to perpetrate the act.
He said he agreed to join Uche in the scam because he was unable to secure a job since he came from the east.
He said, “Whenever I am about to take the kids from Orile to Mile 2 pedestrian bridge, my Oga will give them drugs though I don’t know the name of the medicines which will make their stomach get swollen for some hours, and the kids’ mothers are aware of the business. Their mothers stay in the village.
“The children were staying with them in the village before they gave them to my Oga to come to Lagos. The girls are not my sisters, but their mother often brings them to my Oga. Some kids stay a year with us, and half of the money made from begging is sent to their mothers in the village. My Oga does give them black drugs. I don’t know the name of the drugs. My Oga did not tell me the name but it’s a black drug.”
Furthermore, Esiala said Uche brought one of the kids last year December, but added that the other girl has spent three months working for them. He also said the male child working for them “was ill today, that was why he did not come.
“We do not come every day. We sometimes come three times in a week. My oga’s name is Uche and we have another set of people that stay at Ajagbadi, but I don’t know the exact place. The person that handles that of Ajagbadi is different from the one handling us in Mile 2. The name is Goodluck, but he is currently not in Lagos, he travelled, and his younger brother is in charge,” he added.
After thorough questioning, Oyedinka was taken to the Nigeria Police Station Area E, Festac and handed over to the police.