The Imo State Police Command has arrested two women for attempting to sell a kidnapped four-year-old boy in Owerri, the state capital.
Police spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye gave the names of the suspects as Joy Ugwu from Idah, Kogi State, and Rosella Michael of Zamba area of Abuja, while the third suspect, a nurse is currently on the run.
According to Okoye, the boy was kidnapped from Abuja while he was hawking vegetables and then brought to Owerri for sale before luck ran out of the suspects.
Okoye said the suspects were arrested in Owerri on April 14, while they were trying to sell the boy for ₦2.7million following a discreet operation by operatives.
The Command’s spokesperson added that the arrests were made during coordinated efforts between the Imo State Police Command and Zone 7 Police Headquarters in Abuja.
Okoye said the suspects have been transferred to the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department (ZCID), Abuja for further investigation and prosecution.
Police investigation “revealed that the boy, Jaffa Umar, who speaks Hausa fluently, was abducted in Abuja while hawking vegetables.
“The suspects brought him to Owerri and were negotiating to sell him for ₦2.7 million before their arrest. A third accomplice, believed to be a nurse, is currently at large,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma has reassured the public of the Command’s commitment to protect vulnerable people and dismantle trafficking networks.
He further appealed to Imo State residents to report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station or via the emergency line 0803 477 3600.
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