The police in Rivers State have said its operatives rescued 15 children who were kidnapped within and outside the state and kept in the house of a fake Reverend Sister in Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka, disclosed this in Port Harcourt at a news briefing to showcase some of the command’s achievements on Tuesday.
Eboka said the woman who claimed to be a reverend sister, Maureen Wechinwu, 44, was arrested and would be charged to court.
He said, “Operation restore peace personnel of the Command, acting on credible information regarding hideout of child traffickers, stormed Omuigwe Abuja Phase II, Aluu, in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
“A lady who claimed to be Rev. Sister Maureen Wechinwu was arrested. 15 children ranging from seven to nine years were rescued, case transferred to CP Monitoring Unit for discrete investigation
“It took us over 24 hours before we could extract any information from the children. Some of them who could talk recounted their experiences with the woman.
“One of them known as Prosper Godwin informed us that on October 31, 2020, he was abducted at Ikpazasia market in Bayelsa State, together with two others whom he did not know their whereabouts and was taken to the suspects.”
According to the police commissioner, Godwin was later sold to a woman in Lagos.
However, on getting to Lagos, the woman who bought him realised that the boy was too sharp and returned him to the seller.
“That was how he managed to come back to that place (Aluu in Rivers), CP, saying when contacted the parents corroborated the statement of the child,” he added.
Some of the other children rescued are Queen Harry, Miracle John Ohiri, Favour Edeze, Emeka Edeze, and Chimele Obinna.
Eboka further disclosed that of the 15 children, five of their parents have been contacted, while the police were yet to locate the parents of the remaining 10 children for identification. “Investigation is ongoing with the view of arresting other suspects linked in the case,” he said.
In a related development, the state police boss said 21 suspected armed robbers, including a driver attached to the taxi-hailing app, Bolt, were arrested from various parts of the state.
He said, “On August 10, 2022, Operatives of C4i Intelligence Unit, based on credible information, arrested one Obinna Dike, 39 of No. 72 Ibeto road Port Harcourt, a bolt driver who specialises in robbing his passengers at gunpoint.
“One of his recent operations is at Evo road G.R.A, where he robbed a lady, Boma Adolphus of the sum of N150, 000 He confessed to the crime and investigation is ongoing.”
