Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Barely one month after four children of same parents in Umuahia, Abia State capital were stollen by the tricycle operator conveying them to school, the State Police Command, has confirmed the stealing of another four children.
This time, the victims are not of same parents unlike the previous incident but two of the children are siblings while one is their cousin, and the fourth person from another parents.
The missing children were said to have been stolen on Saturday by a tenant who packed into their compound on Thursday.
The runaway tenant was said to have organised a little party for children in the house located at Ubakala Street by Ossah Road Umuahia.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, ASP Maureen Chinaka, who confirmed the incident in a statement, said investigation had commenced.
The PPRO said the matter was reported by one Mrs Ifeanyi Uduma Ibe, adding that the police will leave nothing to chances in the quest to rescue the children.
On how it happened, police said the complainant, Mrs Ibe, had said that she left four children to the care of a neighbour at Ubakala Street by Ossah Road. Before she came back from a brief errand, she had disappeared with all four children.
Police in a statement, said: “On the 17th of December 2023, at about 0900Hrs, Mrs Ifeanyi Udoma Ibe, a resident of Ubakala Street by Ossah Road, Umuahia, reported to the Central Police Station(CPS) Umuahia that she entrusted four children to the care of a new female tenant, including two of hers and her neighbours’ namely: Joy Uduma (female, three years old). Ogbonna Uduma (male, sis years old). Chioma Kingsley (female five years old). Miracle Ikechukwu (female, five years old).
“Police interaction with Mrs Ibe revealed that the tenant had moved in just three days before the incident and Mrs. Ibe could not provide details such as the tenant’s name or GSM number.”
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The landlord of the said house, Mr Uche Akachukwu, has denied any knowledge that the said tenant had packed in.
According to the landlord, he gave the agent key to show the absconded tenant the room on Thursday so she would come to sign the papers with the lawyer only to be told that a tenant had absconded with four children.
According to the landlord, he only knew about it when one of the tenants, Mrs Ibe called him to ask for the contact of the new tenant.
The landlord explained that he was surprised because he did not expect the tenant to pack in before completing the document signing formality.
He further said the escapee tenant paid her house rent through Point of Sale, POS, hence there is nothing to trace her with.
Although there are spirited efforts to improve security in the state, there have been pockets of insecurity in parts of the state especially this Yuletide.
