Police smash child trafficking cabal, plan prosecution of arrested suspects
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Police have smashed a child trafficking cabal spanning four Southern states, recovered three stolen children, and arrested three suspects allegedly involved in the crime.
Those nabbed are Utibeabasi Enang (Obot Akara, Akwa Ibom); Mary Eunice (Asaba, Delta); and Bella Uko (Aba, Abia).
Akwa Ibom Police Commissioner Olatoye Durosinmi announced the bust when he paraded the suspects at police headquarters in Uyo.
He said Enang deceived one Peace Paul and stole her two children, aged three and five years in May, and sold them to Uko in Aba, who in turn sold them to Eunice in Asaba.
According to Durosinmi, the mother of the children was almost beaten to death when she demanded her children from Enang and had to flee for her life.
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Stolen 11-year-old girl recovered
Durosinmi disclosed another female suspect, Alayodi Paul Onyekwere (Abroma, Rivers), was arrested for allegedly stealing the 11-year-old daughter of Emmanuel Macauley Daniel of Ikot Ikot village in Obot Akara Council in Akwa Ibom.
“The suspect alleged that she was sent by her grandmother to steal the child, which she led operatives to recover in Rivers State. The children are here today and will be reunited with their families,” he said, per Daily Post.
Peace Patrick narrated how Enang deceived her with a promise to take her to a hospital in Ikot Abasi to treat her for an ailment but turned round to attempt to kill her after taking her children to an unknown destination.
“After she took me to the hospital in Ikot Abasi, where it was diagnosed that I had internal heat, she took me to the houses of her different boyfriends where we stayed for over three weeks,” Patrick said.
“When I started asking for my children, she promised to take me to where they were. On our way, she asked the driver to stop by a bridge, saying we would have to cross the bridge.
“As we were trying to cross the bridge, she started beating me and attempted to push me into the river, but I struggled with her until a man who lived close by came to rescue me. He took me to his house, where I used his phone to call someone to send me money because she [Enang] had seized my phone from me.
“When I returned to my village, I reported the matter to my village Chairman who reported the case to Yak Iyamma organisation. I really thank God that after everything, my children were found.”
Police arrest man accused of raping daughter aged 6
Also paraded by the police was Sunday Michael Ben accused of raping his six-year-old daughter.
Bu the suspect insisted during interrogation that “I had my daughter with me in the house, and that night, I woke up to fix my heater that was bad because there was light. I didn’t touch her.
“I believe my girlfriend, who was with me in the house, committed the act. I only noticed in the morning that she [the daughter] had bloodstains on her leg.”
The victim confirmed that somebody touched her at night but she could not say anything or see the person who touched her.
Durosinmi announced the suspects will be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.