Police operatives in Delta State have rescued a stolen three-year-old boy and apprehended members of a suspected child trafficking syndicate.
In a statement on Wednesday, state Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent Bright Edafe said it also recovered a tricycle and a locally made cut-to-size gun during an operation.
According to the statement: “On the 13/06/2023 about 0830hrs, one Aisha Yusuf of Abraka community, Asaba, reported at the station that her son, Abubakar Atiku, aged three years was stolen by one Mohammed Isah, 35 years.
“Acting on the complaint, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, Wale Abass, gave a marching order to the DPO ‘C’ Division, Asaba, Apu Torukeregha, to go all out to arrest the suspect and rescue the stolen child.
“The DPO led operatives of the division Anti-crime patrol team on a frantic search for the stolen child. Acting on a tip-off, the team stormed Abraka market, Oshimili-South LGA, where the principal suspect, Mohammed Isah, was arrested.
“Upon interrogation, he confessed to the crime and led the operatives to arrest three other members of the child stealing syndicate, namely, Ibrahim Sani, 23 years; Kabiru Ibrahim, 52 years and Abubakar Mohammed, 32-year-old cripple.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that they belong to a child trafficking syndicate that steals children and sells them for a huge amount of money. The suspects led policemen to a hotel in Onitsha, Anambra State, where the team arrested one Suleiman Mohammed, 38 years, in whose custody the missing child was found.
“The suspect arrested in Anambra stated that he was waiting for the supposed buyer of the said child, and they had agreed to sell the child for N800,000. The child has been reunited with the mother, while the suspects are in custody, and investigation is ongoing.
“In another development, on 12/6/2023 by 0800 hours, men of “A’ Division Warri Anti-Crime Patrol team while on visibility patrol along the African Church behind Daudu Police post, sighted a tricycle Reg No. BUR 240 VC conveying two male occupants heading towards their direction.
“When the team accosted the tricycle for a routine search, the duo jumped out and escaped, and the team chased but could not arrest them. When the search was carried out on the abandoned tricycle, one locally fabricated cut-to-size pistol was recovered, exhibits in custody, while manhunt for the fleeing suspects is ongoing”.
