Child trafficking: Police apprehends syndicate responsible for several missing children in Benue

A nursing mother and three other accomplices were paraded by the Police in Benue State on Wednesday for their alleged involvement in several child thefts within the state.

The Police said that the four kidnap suspects were arrested in Makurdi following useful tipoff by good spirited individuals after they had abducted a two year old male child near the cattle market in North bank suburb of Makurdi.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Benue command, DSP. Moses Joel Yamu, said that the suspects; Joy Onyeabor, 32, Lucy Doosur, 29, Sunday Udoh, 26 and Friday Orinya, 33. conspired to commit the crime on October 10, this year.

Yamu said that a full scale investigation was ordered into the matter by the State Commissioner of Police, Ene Okon, after the report of the missing child, Bemdoo Ajekwe, who is two years and six months old was brought to the Division C police station in North Bank by the victim’s mother, Mercy Ajokwe.

The Police spokesman explained that the said child was on that faithful day in company of his seven years older brother when the women (Joy and Lucy) lured the older child with the sum of N50 to help them buy bread across the road leaving the younger boy in their care while they whisked him away before the older sibling returned from the errand to faraway Aba in Abia State.

He added that the women sold the child to one Unwa Chibueze and Elizabeth whose surname is unknown at the cost of N500,000 and that further investigation on the matter led to the arrest of other members of the syndicate to include Udoh a bus conductor, who is father to Joy’s child and the driver, Orinya all of North Bank, Makurdi who actively participated in the crime.

Yamu explained further that police detectives extended investigation to Aba in Abia state and recovered the child, Bemdoo Ajekwe on October 23 and that the minor has since been reunited to the family while investigation continues with a view to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate.

The police also intimated that the suspect were responsible for another child stolen few months ago at the Daudu Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) camp in Guma local government area of the state.

Speaking to newsmen, one of the suspects, Joy, a mother to four other children apart from her nursing toddler confessed to have committed the crime and received her share of N250, 000 as proceed from the sale of the child.

Also, Lucy, a mother of three children from Konshsisha LGA of the state, said she was dragged into the mess by her friend, Joy, stressing that it was her first time of committing the crime and that she benefitted N50,000 out of which she returned N45,000 to the police.

“I had come to Makurdi only a few days ago after completing my farm work in Konshsisa. I used to hang around my friend, Joy during the day and at night, I go out to the streets to do ‘runs.’ It was during one of the days I was with Joy that she introduced me into the bad business.”

“My conscience continued to prick me after we returned from selling the baby in Abia state so when the police came to arrest me, I willingly gave them all information which led to the recovery of the baby,” Lucy said.

But, the duo of Orinya and Udoh denied taking part in the alleged crime.

Meanwhile, the mother of the recovered child, Mercy, said that on the fateful day, she had left the child in the custody of her housemaid and went to the market, only to be called home shortly after that her seven year old nephew strolled out with her youngest son and some strangers stole him.

Mercy, a single mother of two children expressed gratitude to God and the police for the recovery of her child as she emphasised the need for justice to be served on the abductors.