Niger State Police command has busted a syndicate of some people operating orphanage homes as guise to abduct children between the state and Abuja.
The command’s Police public relations officer (PPRO), Wasiu Abiodun disclosed that the syndicate was bursted following arrest of two suspects; Saviour Ebuka, 20 years old and Mary Peter, 25 years at Tunga-Maje via Gwagwalada area of FCT Abuja.
He said their arrest was sequel to the suspected abduction of two children reported at ‘B’ Div. Suleja
The PPRO said two children of ages five and three male and female respectively of the water board area of Suleja were missing and were suspected to have been taken away by a new tenant who just moved into the compound.
“However, the landlord and agent who leased the apartment to the suspected tenant were invited for interrogation, as the matter was transferred to SCID Minna for discreet investigation, In the course of painstaking investigation, the Anti-kidnapping unit of the command trailed the suspects and arrested one Saviour Ebuka, 20 years and Mary Peter, 25 years at Tunga-Maje via Gwagwalada area of FCT Abuja, “the PPRO said.
He explain ed that: “During interrogation, Saviour confessed to having conspired with one Ifeoma and Patience, both presently at large to perpetrate the act, because Ifeoma agreed to pay him and Patience N250,000 each, but she had only paid Patience while he is yet to be paid”.
The PPRO said Saviour confessed that the children were abducted and taken to Ifeoma at the same address where she had an illegal orphanage home called “Famous Kids home” but Ifeoma later left for an unknown destination and transferred the children to another person.
The police operatives intensified efforts on the investigation and later identified one Chinwe Egwu 49 years of Lugbe area Abuja as the illegal custodian of the children.
The team proceeded to Lugbe, where the said Chinwe was arrested and she was found to be in charge of one Adorable Orphanage home, where seven children were rescued, including the two reportedly abducted children, Abdullahi Umar, 5 years and Rahamat Umar, 3 years”.
The PPRO said five children among the seven rescued were immediately handed over to the Social Welfare Department of FCT, fortunately, three other children who were abducted from different locations in Suleja and Tafa were equally rescued from Chinwe due to her confessions.
He said effort was ongoing to arrest the said Ifeoma and Patience, as the case is under investigation, and suspects arrested so far will be prosecuted accordingly as soon as the investigation is concluded.
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