Police arrest 2 suspected child traffickers, rescue 3-year-old baby

The Commissioner of Police in Abia, Mr Leye Oyebade, onmMonday, said the command had arrested two suspected child traffickers while they were attempting to escape with!a three-year-old baby in Aba.

Oyebade said this at a news conference on the activities of the command in Umuahia. "Detectives from Ogbor Hill Police Station went after!the suspects after the baby’s mother, Mrs Rose Ndukwu, reported the case of baby theft, he said."

 He further explained that the detectives cordoned off all possible exit routes in the area before intercepting the suspects — Chinemerem Isaiah (20) and Chioma Mark (14), with the baby.

The commissioner noted that investigation into the matter had commenced to fish out the intended buyers and other accomplices in the crime. He said the command also rescued a three-month-old baby following the arrest of two suspected child traffickers, Ezinne Obiah, 17, and Abigail Udofia, 18. He pointed out that “both suspected girls confessed to have sold their babies to one Esther Asuquo and her colleagues in Port Harcourt.”

 Oyebade said that the confessional statement led to the rescue of the three-month-old baby girl, adding that the police were still searching for the second baby and other people mentioned by the suspects.

He described child trafficking as a crime against humanity and gave the assurance that the command was working assiduously to stamp it out. One of the suspects, Udofia, who claimed to be a JSS 3 student in Aba, said that when she was due to be delivered, she was referred to Asuquo’s house, where she stayed and gave birth to a baby boy.

 She said “after my delivery, Asuquo gave me N250,000 but later sold my baby for N800,000.” The command had also arrested some suspected armed robbers and car-snatching syndicate, including one Chisom Ajaero, who was said to be the leader of a gang that had been terrorising Aba.

 Meanwhile, Oyebade said that the command was set to recall policemen posted to provide security to private citizens. He also said that the command had banned the use of sirens and covered number plates by unauthorized persons in the state.