"The suspects have confessed to have sold some of the children for between N300,000 and N600,000 before they were arrested," the Imo Police Commissioner stated.
Dasuki Galandachi, Imo State Commissioner of Police, has revealed that the Force recovered 11 children stolen from different parts of the federation.
According to him, in Imo, Lagos and Edo states, children are sold for prices ranging between N300,000 and N600,000.
He said this while speaking to journalists at the command’s headquarters in Owerri, Imo State on Monday, following a successful operation by a crack team of detectives, who recovered the children and arrested eight persons.
The Commissioner revealed that the command recovered the children - whose ages ranged from one year to nine years – in a 24-day operation, which lasted from July 24 to August 17.
The suspects are Ikewete Lucyann; Theresa Asiegbu from Urualla, Ideato North, Imo State; Chioma Emeka (Umunwumoke Okigwe, Imo State); Happiness Peter from Ogoja Cross River State; Martina Nwadike, Agbor Park, Benin, Edo State; Martha Ojimba, from Mgbee Orlu, Imo State; Chizoba Eze, and Ama Eze from Ngwo Enugu State.
Galandachi, who noted that the children were stolen from various places and brought to Imo to be sold, said: “Investigation revealed that two of the recovered children, Habeeb and Wunmi, were stolen from Sabo area of Lagos State. The suspects have confessed to have sold some of the children for between N300,000 and N600,000 before they were arrested.”
Praising the success of community policing in the effectiveness of the operation, Galandachi urged parents and guardians, whose children are missing to report to the station.
“Parents and guardians, whose child/children are missing, are advised to report to the Public Relations Department of the State Police Command for identification and collection of their children.”