Police arrest suspected child traffickers in Delta

Men of the Delta State police command have arrested two suspects – Gloria Ugbebor, 39, and Vera Olunwa, 62, for alleged child trafficking.

The command said it received information from concerned residents that a child was seen roaming around a church premises in Asaba, and the Commander Eagle Net Special Squad detailed operatives to the scene and the child was brought to the station.

Preliminary investigation revealed that she was kidnapped along with three other children by unknown men while they were playing in their village surroundings in Niger State.

The victim, Jamila Shagari, 16, told police that she was 12 years old when she was kidnapped and brought to one Gloria Ugbebor at 15, Kingdom Hall, Umunede community. Her name was changed to Dorcas Peter by the suspect and taken to Lagos where she was handed over to one Azubuike, whom she served as home help for two years.

After two years serving Azubuike, she was returned to Ugbebor in Umunede, who later handed her over to one Vera Olunwa in Asaba.

“The two suspects Gloria Ugbebor and Vera Olunwa) were arrested while two other children, Nuhu Yohanna, 12, and Abednego Joshua, 11, both males, who were in custody of Mrs. Gloria Ugbebor, were also rescued,” DSP Bright Edafe, the command’s spokesman, said in a statement.

He said efforts are on to locate the biological parents of the said victims, while investigation is ongoing with a view to arrest their other accomplices.

In another development, operatives of the command on June 7, 2021, while on stop-and-search duty along Warri-Sapele road intercepted a commercial transport bus.

On the bus was found a suspect, Bernard Aloba, 26, in whose possession were found 20 exotic phones, three laptops suspected to have been stolen, and one charmed bullet proof vest.

Also, the Safer Highway patrol teams on stop-and-search duty along the Ughelli-Patani road on June 20 intercepted a commercial vehicle, and asked all passengers to get down for search. One of the passengers suddenly jumped out and fled into the bush.

On searching his luggage, 24 Android phones of different makes were recovered from his bag.

“However, one of his gang members, Iliyasu Hamzat, who kept calling the suspect’s phone to find out what is delaying the delivery of the stolen phones, was tactically lured and arrested by the police,” Bright said, adding that manhunt for the fleeing suspect is ongoing.

He quoted the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, Ari Muhammed Ali, as appealing to members of the public, particularly travelers, to always exercise patience with the police while they are performing their duties, especially during stop-and-search duties, saying it is for the good of all passengers on board, and residents of the state in general.

He also enjoined residents of the state to give credible and timely information to the police when the need arises.