The command's spokesperson, Loveth Odah, stated this in statement, adding that the child who had been reunited with the family was rescued when the operatives of the command busted a child trafficking syndicate.
The Ebonyi State Police Command has said it rescued a child stolen from the state and sold for N355,000 to a suspect in Anambra State.
The command's spokesperson, Loveth Odah, stated this in statement, adding that the child who had been reunited with the family was rescued when the operatives of the command busted a child trafficking syndicate.
Odah disclosed that the child was recovered in Anambra State through a painstaking investigation by the command’s detectives in the past one month, adding that the child was stolen from the mother at a market in the state in March.
The statement on Friday partly read, “On the 11th day of April, 2022, a case of stolen child was reported to the Ebonyi State Police Command by one Okeh Nkemdiri ‘f’ against one Uchechukwu Ebenyi age 27yrs ‘m’ of Amukpa Okengwu Ezilo in the Ishielu LGA of Ebonyi State alleging that on the 21st March, 2022, at about 1200hrs she went to their local market with her four-year-old son, Okeh Makoochukwu, whom she suddenly discovered was no longer seen.
“She immediately raised the alarm in the market but all efforts to trace her son’s whereabouts proved abortive. Police detectives, on receipt of information, swung into action and arrested the suspect, Uchechukwu Ebenyi."
It added, "During interrogation, Ebenyi confessed to have sold the little Makoochukwu Okeh for the sum of N5000 to one Chidiebere Ogbu ‘m’, a native of Amoukpa Okeugwu Eziulo in the Ishielu LGA of Ebonyi State, who resides in Anambra State alongside one Ekeh Ukamaka ‘f’ of the same address.
"The police detectives trailed the recipient of the stolen child to Anambra State, where he was arrested alongside two others."
The PPRO, however, noted that the child could not be located immediately as the suspects had also sold him to other persons.
"Upon interrogation, he (Ogbu) confessed to have sold the child to a third party with the help of one Dr. Lambert’s wife (name unknown) but now at large through Nwagwu Onyeka ‘m’ currently residing at the Idemili North LGA of Anambra State at the sum of N350,000.
“The child was further traced to one Chibuzor Azubuike ‘m’ who later took the detectives to Ezenwa Scholastica whom the child was recovered from, on May 3, 2022”, Odah disclosed in the statement.