The Anambra State Police Command has paraded nine persons suspected of being involved in kidnapping, child trafficking and robbery in various parts of the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Garba Umar, said a Police Inspector, Hassan Ahmadu, and a team of 55 Police Mobile Force, Aba, Abia State, while on duty along Osisioma Road Junction in Abia State, saw two persons, Abuchi David Onochie and Obinna Ekwugo, with a three-year-old boy they couldn’t give account of.
Umar said: “The suspects were subsequently taken to Osisioma Police Station, where they eventually confessed that they lured the little boy, Chikamso Chukwudube Emmanuel, from his family house at Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“The parents of the boy have since claimed their child.”
Umar also said a brother and sister, Treasure and Lilian, from Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, tricked Peace Walter from Enugu State to Mgbachu village Nkpor-Uno, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State on the pretext of going to employ her in an undisclosed private company at Nkpor.
He explained that while Peace Walter was in captivity, Treasure demanded N1 million ransom from her parents before she could be released.
The CP said: “He went through the phone of Peace Walter and called Nche Thelma Blessing that he had a modeling work contract that would last for two years.
“He told her that she would be paid N250,000.
“On January 15, 2018, Nche Thelma Blessing arrived Nkpor and was received by Treasure, who tricked her to his house and locked her up demanding N50,000 ransom.
“When he noticed that the money was not forth coming, he collected her two handsets and a cash of N31,000.
“He stripped her naked to rape her, but she managed to escape from his captive.
“Since he was in possession of Nche Thelma Blessing’s phone, Treasure went through her contacts and called one Victoria and gave the number to his sister, Lilian, who posed as Nche Thelma Blessing and lured Victoria, who hails from Akwa Ibom State, to Nkpor where Treasure took her to his house and raped her and collected ransom of N145,000, which her relations paid.
“It was Treasure that sent his sister Lilian with Victoria’s ATM card and withdrew the amount before she was released from captive by Treasure.”
The CP further said the suspects had confessed to the crime, stressing that they would soon be arraigned in court.
Five other persons were also paraded for allegedly robbing Ozoali Ebere Cynthia and six others at Abagana, of various items which include ATM cards, gas cooker, plasma TV telephones, stabilizer, money and generators.
He said the gang also robbed Dr. Onuorah Benjamin at Bekee Memorial Hospital, Nimo of his iPhone valued at N140,000, laptop valued at N300,000, two wrist watches valued at N60,000, among other items.