It was all over a multi-million dollar drug debt from last summer.
That’s what Toronto police believe is behind the dramatic abduction of 14-year-old Shammah Jolayemi as he walked to school Wednesday morning.
Speaking to media outside of a north Toronto police station, Supt. Steven Watts said investigators believe Jolayemi’s kidnappers were motivated by the theft of nearly 100 kg. of cocaine — worth around $4-million — allegedly stolen by the boy’s stepbrother Olalekan Osikoya in the summer of 2019.
“We believe Shammah was abducted as retribution for an unpaid drug debt,” Watts said.
Jolayemi was last seen around 8:30 a.m. near his Driftwood Ave. home Wednesday, shouting for help as he was forced into a black Jeep Wrangler by two or three males.
Watts said police were notified at the time about the incident, but it wasn’t until his parents called police Wednesday evening upon learning that Jolayemi was absent from school that police connected the two investigations.
An Amber Alert was issued just after midnight.
A vehicle similar to the one connected with Jolayemi’s abduction was found torched Thursday afternoon near Forks of the Credit in Caledon.
Watts said they believe it’s the same vehicle used to abduct Jolayemi.
Watts said investigators have been in contact with Osikoya, who’s been cooperative, and that he fled the GTA shortly after the alleged theft.
Sources tell the Sun the boy’s family received a warning that some sort of retaliation would occur in connection with the theft.
A statement from the Toronto District School Board said four staff members from Newtonbrook Secondary School are under investigation after it was discovered Jolayemi’s absence wasn’t properly recorded.
“TDSB procedure requires the classroom teacher to promptly report all attendance to the school office each period,” said TDSB spokesman Ryan Bird, adding that information is entered electronically and automated absence calls are made at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
“We have confirmed that attendance information from the morning was not entered by the 11am cut-off time as it should have been and as a result, this information was shifted to the second call.”
He said the staff members could face “disciplinary action” if their actions are deemed “culpable.”
Back at the press conference, Watts spoke directly to the kidnappers.
“You need to release Shammah,” he said.
“I appreciate the high-level cocaine business and the situation that faces (Osikoya,) but this is a 14-year-old innocent child — he is not part of that business, not part of that lifestyle.
“The full weight of the Toronto police will be brought to bear.”
Shammah is described as slim, about six-feet tall with short black hair.
He was last seen wearing a grey hooded sweater, grey track pants with a thin orange stripe and a shiny black puffy winter coat and yellow air Jordan shoes and may have had a black and red Adidas pack back.
Call 9-1-1 with any information.
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