Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
The police command in Ebonyi State says it has rescued a four-year old male child who was kidnapped and sold for N355, 000.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Loveth Odah disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abakaliki.
Odah said that the rescue of the victim and subsequent arrest of some of the suspects followed painstaking investigation and sharing of intelligence by officers of the command.
She described the group as a child-trafficking syndicate that operated both in the state and neighbouring states.
According to the police spokesperson, one Nkemdirim Okeh reported a case of child theft to the police command on April 11, 2022.
Odah said Okeh alleged that one Uchechukwu Ebenyi, 27, of Amukpa Okengwu Ezilo in Ishielu Local Government Area of the state, on March 21, 2022, stole the victim from her at their local market.
“Upon her arrest and subsequent interrogation, Ebenyi confessed to have sold the boy for N5000 to one Chidiebere Ogbuwho who resides in Anambra State alongside one Ekeh Ukamaka.
“Police detectives trailed the recipient of the stolen child to Anambra State where he was arrested alongside two others but the child was not located immediately as the suspects had also sold him to other persons.
“Upon interrogation, Ogbu confessed to have sold the child for N350, 000 to a third party through one Nwagwu Onyeka, living in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State,” she said.
Odah disclosed that on May 3, 2022, the child was finally traced to one Chibuzor Frank Azubuike who later took the detectives to Ezenwa Scholastica who had custody of the child.
She said that the child had since been reunited with his family in Ebonyi State while members of the trafficking syndicate had been charged to court.
