Delta Police Arrest School Bus Driver for Kidnapping Minor

On October 20, 2026, a 14-year-old female student was reportedly kidnapped by 28-year-old school bus driver Onome Ughagha in Sapele while she was preparing to leave for school. The suspect demanded a ransom of ₦503,000 from the victim's father, threatening to kill the minor if the payment was not made.

After the ransom was paid, the girl was abandoned along Oton Road and later reunited with her family in a traumatized state, showing signs of sexual assault. The Delta State Police Command, led by Police Public Relations Officer SP Bright Edafe, initiated an investigation following the father's report.

The school principal and vice-principal were questioned as part of the inquiry. Ughagha fled after abandoning the school bus but was traced and arrested on October 23, 2026, in the Ajimele area of Sapele.

He confessed to the crime during preliminary interrogation, and arrangements were made to transfer him to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Asaba for further investigation.