Police Confirm Arrest Of Two Suspected Child Traffickers; Rescue Two-Year-Old

By Babatunde Solanke

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested two suspected child traffickers, theroyaltimes.com reports

The police public relations officer (PPRO) for Delta State Command, DSP Bright Edafe, named the suspects as one Mallam Sa’ad Ahmed Baba (57), of no. 12 Lagos Street, Cablepoint, Asaba and Halima Abubakar, female, aged 25 years of Jaret, Cablepoint, Asaba.

In a press statement made available to newsmen on Saturday, 5 August, 2023, Edafe said the suspects were nabbed on August 3, 2023, at about 1100hours, following a distress call from a resident of Jaret in Asaba, that her two-year-old child, Ridwan Ibrahim went missing the previous day while playing with other children in the compound of her sister whom she went to visit.

Based on this information, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Wale Abass, detailed operatives of SIB to embark on an intelligence-led investigation.

The team swung into action, analyzing the phone conversation of some suspected persons which led to the arrest of the two suspects.

Consequently, according to the police, the missing child was rescued at Issele-Asagba where the suspects had hidden the child.

The police spokesman disclosed that an investigation is ongoing into the matter.

In another development, on August 3, 2023, at about 0700 hours, the Divisional Police Officer, Orerokpe received information that one Ifeoma Sunday, a.k.a. ‘COCO’, a suspected notorious cultist who has been terrorising Aghalokpe community and also wanted for his involvement in an earlier reported case of attempted murder, arson and armed robbery, was sighted in the community parading with a gun.

The DPO Orerokpe instantly mobilised and led patrol teams to the community where the suspect was arrested and one locally made cut-to-size single-barrel gun and one expended cartridge were recovered from him.

The PPRO affirmed that the suspect and exhibits are in custody while the investigation is ongoing.

Meanwhile, CP Wale Abass has urged parents and guardians to be cautious and pay close attention to their children and wards while assuring residents that the Command will not allow the criminal syndicates to thrive in the State.

Theroyaltimes.coms recalls that two months ago, operatives of the State police command arrested a cripple, three other suspected traffickers and rescued a three-year-old child from them.

The suspects are Mohammed Isah, Ibrahim Sani ‘m’ 23years, Kabiru Ibrahim ‘m’ 52years and Abubakar Mohammed ‘m’ a 32years old cripple.

Earlier that month, one Aisha Yusuf of Abraka community Asaba, reported at the station that her son Abubakar Atiku aged 3years was stolen by one Mohammed Isah aged 35years.

Acting on the complaint, the state police boss, Abass, immediately gave marching orders 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’s 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.

The suspect led policemen to a hotel in Onitsha, Anambra State where the team arrested one Suleiman Mohammed, 38 years, 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 that they have agreed to sell the child for the sum of N800,000.

 Edafe, who confirmed the incident, said upon interrogation, he confessed to the crime and led the operatives to arrest three other members of the child-stealing syndicate.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that they belong to a child trafficking syndicate that steal children and sell for a huge amount of money,” he added.

Edafe said the child has been reunited with the mother, while the suspects are in custody and investigation ongoing.