A child trafficking syndicate which allegedly stole and sold a child for N355,000 has been busted by the police.
The police rescued the male child who was stolen by the syndicate from his mother in a market in Ebonyi state in March and sold in Anambra State.
Ebonyi Police spokesperon Loveth Odah in a statement released on Friday May 13, said the child was recovered in Anambra State through a painstaking investigation by the command’s detectives spanning almost one month.
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.”
Upon being alerted, Police detectives swung into action and arrested the suspect, Uchechukwu Ebenyi.
Upon being interrogated, Ebenyi confessed to have sold little Makoochukwu Okeh for the sum of #5000 to one Chidiebere Ogbu ‘m’, a native of Amoukpa Okeugwu Eziulo in Ishielu LGA of Ebonyi State who resides in Anambra State alongside one Ekeh Ukamaka ‘f’ of same address.
However, the child could not be located immediately as the suspects had also sold him to other persons.
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 syndicate involved in the trafficking of the little boy have been charged to court to face the full wrath of the law, while the child has since been reunited with his mother and the family 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”
