Here Are Some Tricks Strangers Use To Abduct Children

Every parent's worst nightmare is losing a child. It can be the most terrifying thing that we wish never to happen to us and our loved ones. Parents have to be on alert and warn their children about these tricks which evil people use to lure and abduct children in the present times.

 "Come and see."

Many times, abductors will approach little children when they are playing in their yard or outside their homes. Often, the stranger will use a smartphone with a game, a toy or other popular gadgets as an enticement. They let the kids play with the object for a bit, and then invite them to come and see more in their car or another location.

"Can you open the door?"

Asking a child to open the door is a classic trick criminals use to gain access to your home. They wait until there are no parents around, and then ring the doorbell to lure the children to the door. When the child answers, they offer a compelling reason to enter the home. Typically, the stranger will dress as a service professional. However, this trick is becoming outdated because of the growing awareness of the dangers of leaving children unattended at home.

“I know your parents”

I remember many in the early nineties, during the days of Abacha, there was a period when there was crippling fuel scarcity. I and my younger brother were trekking back home from primary school along Isolo-Oke-afa road in Lagos (we lived at Jakande Estate back then) when a man on a motor bike stopped beside us and called us by our names. He said “don’t you know me? I know your father. Climb on my okada let me drive you home.” My brother, who never listened to me when we were younger, hopped on the bike and the man zoomed off with him.

Luckily for us, the man really did know our father and he dropped my brother off safe and sound at our home. But what if the opposite had been the case? I didn’t know the man and till date I can’t identify him. Parents have to warn their children against strangers who come to them claiming to be friends of the family.

Flattery

Beware of strangers that flatter children about their looks. They may have a camera and try to take pictures of the child, and fake like they belong to a modeling company or talent search business. The stranger will ask the child for his or her home address and personal information. At a later date, they can use the information to go to the home to abduct the child.

Panic Inducement/Fake Emergency

A common trick is to approach a child and tell them something has happened to their parent. They convince the child that their parents sent them to pick them up. This trick can be tricky. Emergencies usually cause a sense of panic. This can lead a child to blindly follow anyone that helps him or her feel calm in the midst of chaos.

Free Gifts

Children, like most human beings, are excited about receiving free stuff. This excitement may lead them into a trap crafted by the perfect stranger. The abductor may use free ice cream, candy, toys or anything exciting to a child to lure them into their car.

Sometimes, the enemy is not a stranger, but a well known face. We recall the story about the sixteen-year old boy in Lagos who lured his neighbour's four year old son to an uncompleted building, strangled he toddler and harvested his organs. This teenager said he committed the dastardly act for a promised sum of fifty  thousand {50,000) naira. He played on the innocent child's trust, took advantage of it and used  to waste the poor child's life.

There are many situations that are dangerous for children. Help your child understand these different situations, and teach them how to respond appropriately.

Ultimately, at the end of the day, you can't always be there to keep your children safe, but enlightening them on the various tricks used by evil people, as well as trusting that God and his angels will protect them is sometimes all that you can do.