Akwa Ibom Police Command has rescued four underage children from child trafficking syndicate in Aba, Abia State.
Addressing journalists at the State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia in Uyo Local Government Area of the state on Monday, the Commissioner for Police Waheed Ayilara said ‘‘On the 09/5/2024 at about 2:30 p.m., acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Command arrested one Michael Emmanuel Edet ‘m’, one Ability Henry Tom ‘f’ and one Uwem Udoh Moses ‘f’ from their hideouts within Ibesikpo and Aka Etinan road for stealing a child (name withheld) ‘m’ 12yrs while he was hawking groundnut along Oron road and was taken to Ovum Community in Obingwa L.G.A., Abia State, sold out for the sum of Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N400,000) to one Loveth Nwankwo ‘f’ of Ovum Community, Obingwa L.G.A. in Abia State.’’
‘‘Further investigation led to arrest of the said Loveth Nwankwo in Abia State, suspects confessed to crime and promised to help arrest other fleeing members in their syndicate. Victim rescued and with others. Investigation is still ongoing. The above suspects and others will have their day in court.’’
Ayilara said the police went to rescue one Nkpoikanke Idorenyin Godwin, a pupil of Methodist Church Nigeria Primary School, Etoi in Uyo sold to a woman in Abia State, but in the process stumbled on three more kidnaped children in their abductors’ hideout.
According to him, another rescued child hails from Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area while two come from Okigwe in Imo State.
In interview with journalists, the mother of the rescued child, Mrs Nsisong Okon from Ikot Ekwere in Ibesikpo Asutan, confirmed that the child was kidnapped while he was hawking groundnut.
However, one Loveth Nwankwo who claims she is a trained nurse confirmed that the children were brought to her for keeps by one Ability Henry Tom.
Nwankwo who told journalists in an interview she is a mother of five children said Ability Tom who brought the children from Uyo used to bring crayfish for her to buy.
But, Ability Tom, a mother of two, said she in liaison with Michael Emmanuel Edet facilitated the sale of the pupil-turned groundnut-hawker, though she was given N4,000 transport fare to take the child to Aba.
According to him, ‘‘On 21/06/2024 at about 7:00 p.m, one Glory Uko Okon ‘f’ of Afaha Ikot Obio Nkan Village, Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, called in through the emergency hotline and alleged that one Donald Ita Nyong ‘m’, Rex Clement Uso ‘m’ and one Kingsley Mathias Joekim POS syndicates came to her POS stand at Udo Udoma Avenue Uyo, pretended to make withdrawal of N10,000 and while she made the withdrawal to the suspects, one of the suspect gave her N3,200 to deposit into an Opay account which she tried three times and the transaction was unsuccessful, the suspects mounted pressure on her which made her to give out the POS machine to the suspect’s to type in the account number and before she could realize.
‘‘The suspects had withdrawn the sum of N320,000.00 from her machine and quickly jumped into their waiting car and zoomed off. Suspects were arrested, they all made useful statements and have confessed to the crime. Suspect will be arraigned in court as soon as investigation is completed.’’
