Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested five suspected child traffickers and rescued a 3-year-old boy identified as Abubakar Atiku, kidnapped from Abraka community.
Spokesperson of the command, DSP Bright Edafe, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, said the suspects, Mohammed Isah, Ibrahim Sani, Kabiru Ibrahim, Suleiman Mohammed, Abubakar Mohammed, a cripple, belong to a child trafficking syndicate that steal children and sell them for a huge amount of money.
According to the PPRO, the boy was rescued from a hotel in Onitsha, where Suleiman Mohammed was waiting for a buyer who agreed to pay the sum of 800,000 for him.
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“On the 13/06/2023 at about 0830hrs, one Aisha Yusuf ‘f’ of Abraka community Asaba, reported at the station that her son Abubakar Atiku ‘m’ aged 3yrs was stolen by one Mohammed Isah ‘m’ aged 35yrs.
“Acting on the complaint, the Commissioner of Police Delta state, CP Wale Abass gave a marching order to the DPO ‘C’ Division Asaba CSP Apu Torukeregha to go all out to arrest the suspect and rescue the stolen child.
“In compliance with this directive, the DPO led operatives of the division Anti-crime patrol team on a frantic search for the stolen child. Acting on a tip-off, the team stormed Abraka market Oshimili-South LGA, where the principal suspect Mohammed Isah was arrested.
“Upon interrogation, he confessed to the crime and led the operatives to arrest three other members of the child stealing syndicate namely; Ibrahim Sani ‘m’ 23yrs, Kabiru Ibrahim ‘m’ 52yrs and Abubakar Mohammed ‘m’ a 32yrs old cripple.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that they belong to a child trafficking syndicate that steal children and sell for a huge amount of money. The suspects led policemen to a hotel in Onitsha Anambra state where the team arrested one Suleiman Mohammed ‘m’ 38yrs in whose custody the missing child was found.
“The suspect arrested in Anambra stated that he was waiting for the supposed buyer of the said child, and they have agreed to sell the child for the sum of Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (#800,000). The child has been reunited with the mother, while the suspects are in custody, and investigation is ongoing.”
