Police in Delta rescue 6-months-old baby, 12 others
TWELVE suspected stolen children within the age bracket of six months and two years were recovered by policemen in Delta State from a syndicate that specialises in child trafficking.
The police equally arrested Mrs. Abigail Nwakama a.k.a Madam cash who leads the syndicate, her daughter, Onyinye, was found with a stolen one year old baby including a Pastor at Gospel Fire Ministry Nkwele-Ogidi in Anambra State.
Speaking to journalists at the weekend while parading the syndicate with their victims and other suspects of various crimes at the state Police Command, Asaba, the Commissioner of Police, Zanna Ibrahim, disclosed that two of the recovered children have been handed over to their parents, while the remaining 10 were taken to St.
Barnabas Orphanage Asaba, pending identification by their families. Nigerian Pilot gathered that Pastor Chinedu Strongson paid N400,000 for each child sold to him by a syndicate that specialises in buying and selling of children.
According to Ibrahim, “On September 1 at about 1400hrs, one Aisha Yahaya of Umuezei quarters, Asaba, reported at the ‘B’ Division that on the same date at about 1300hrs, two ladies who she later identified as one Nnoruka Obioma ‘f’ and Chidinma Anikwesiri came to her house, introduced themselves as members of SARS and told her that her husband sent them from Ogwashi-Uku prison.
“The complainant disclosed that she followed them to a junction where they met one Abigail Nwakama who gave her N3,500 to alleviate her poverty and asked her to go and buy clothes for her daughter, Fatima Yahaya ‘f’ aged one year and one month.
“In the process, the said Fatima was stolen by the syndicate. She, however, raised alarm that led to the immediate arrest of Nnoruka Obioma, 32, and Chidinma Anikwesiri, 20, while they attempted to escape”, CP Ibrahim stated.
The commissioner said police dectectives upon recieving the report swung into action and arrested a member of the syndicate, Onyinye ‘f’, daughter to Abigail Nwakanma, with the stolen Fatima at a drinking bar at ‘Stop Abortion’ junction, Asaba.
Ibrahim posited that the leader of the syndicate, Abigail, and Ifeoma Anyadike were arrested the next day by the police at Okpanam town, adding that they confessed to the crime and led dectectives to Ogidi in Anambra State where 12 suspected stolen children were recovered from one Pastor Chinedu Strongson of Gospel Fire Ministry, Nkwele- Ogidi, David Ikesinachi, Ebere Edwin, Adaeze Enyi and Chike Agwunenu from different locations within the area.
He, however, said the suspects were undergoing investigation, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate.
Meanwhile, the commissioner stated that 16 suspected armed robbers, 16 suspected kidnappers, five suspected cultists, four suspected murderers, 10 suspected human traffickers among others have been arrested by the police, disclosing that four kidnap victims were resued, 28 cartridges, two vehicles and five locally made guns were recovered.
