Police recovered a child who was stolen in Ebonyi and sold in Anambra for N355,000.
The police have caught a child trafficking ring that reportedly stole and sold a child for N355,000.
The police rescued a boy toddler who was kidnapped from his mother in an Ebonyi market in March and sold in Anambra State by a network.
In a statement issued on Friday, May 13, Ebonyi Police spokesperon Loveth Odah claimed the youngster was found in Anambra State after a nearly month-long probe by the command's investigators.
It read;
“On the 11th day of April, 2022, a case of stolen child was reported to Ebonyi State Police Command by one Okeh Nkemdiri ‘f’ against one Uchechukwu Ebenyi age 27yrs ‘m’ of Amukpa Okengwu Ezilo in Ishielu LGA of Ebonyi State alleging that on the 21st March, 2022, at about 1200hrs she went to their Local market with her 4yrs old son Okeh Makoochukwu whom she suddenly discovered was no longer seen.
“She immediately raised alarm in the market but all efforts to trace her son Makoochukwu whereabout proved abortive.”
When questioned, Ebenyi admitted to selling Makoochukwu Okeh for #350000 to one Chidiebere Ogbu'm', a resident of Amoukpa Okeugwu Eziulo in Ishielu LGA of Ebonyi State who now lives in Anambra State with one Ekeh Ukamaka 'f' of the same address.
The boy, however, could not be found right away since the suspects had sold him to other people.
The statement added:
“Police detectives trailed the recipient of the stolen child to Anambra State where he was arrested alongside two others.
“Upon interrogation he(Ogbu) confessed to have sold the child to a third party with the help of one Dr. Lambert’s wife name unknown but now at large through Nwagwu Onyeka ‘m’ currently residing at Idemili North LGA of Anambra State at the sum of #350,000.
“The child was further traced to one Chibuzor Frank Azubuike ‘m’ who later took the detectives to Ezenwa Scholastica whom the child was recovered from, on the 3rd May, 2022”
Members of the trafficking gang responsible for the kidnapping of the young boy have been charged to court and will face the full force of the law, while the child has since been reunited with his mother and relatives in Ebonyi state.
Odah said;
“The Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State Police Command, CP Aliyu Garba as commended the efforts of the officers and men for a job well done and further enjoined the good people of Ebonyi to remain vigilant, law abiding and not relent in assisting the Police with useful and timely information that will help in combatting and reducing crime in the State”
