Yaounde: Four suspected kidnappers to be arraigned
Four men arrested recently for allegedly kidnapping an 11-year-old girl, Hilarie in Yaounde on October 18, 2023, and demanding a ransom of FCFA 10 million have been presented to the public at the esplanade of the Mokolo gendarmerie brigade in the Centre region, after a reconstitution of the crime.
One of the suspected kidnappers recounted that a certain Mr Fotsco, a friend of the girl’s father persuaded him with the deal about a year ago.
“He gave me all the details, how the child goes to school with her parents and how she returns home. Every movement of hers. It took a year, to convince me about this deal, and because of financial constraints, I finally accepted in order to have money and save my sick brother in the hospital. I believed it was going to be easy to kidnap her because he assured me his friend’s children grew up right before his eyes and knew him very well.”
On Wednesday, October 18, 2023, he kidnapped the girl a stone’s throw from their home in Nyong, Yaounde 1 sub-division, and took Hilarie to the bush where they called her parents, demanding the FCFA 10 million.
“While in the bush with the girl, I called her parents and asked them the sum of FCFA 10 million if they wanted to see their daughter.” The hired suspect added.
His arrest resulted from a failed agreement to kill the 11-year-old girl once the ransom had been paid.
” Mr. Fotsco who hired me asked me to kill the girl, once the money had been paid but I refused reminding him that was never the initial deal.”
Due to confusion, the hired suspect fell into the dragnet of Gendarme officers alongside his brother and a biker whom he said were helping him bring back Hilarie to her parents.
The chief of the investigation and anti-crime unit of the 1st Gendarmerie Region said the four suspects including the Fotsco are being interrogated, by the end of which their files will be transmitted to the Yaounde Military court where the involvement of each of them will be established for justice to take its course.
In the meantime, Hilarie has been sound and healthy since her release.
