By Desire Emmanuel
Two brothers as well as their mother were among six persons arrested after a three-year-old child was stolen in Anambra State and rescued in Lagos State after three months.
The state police command announced the rescue in a statement on Sunday, November 9, as it added that it arrested six members of a child-stealing and trafficking syndicate operating across Anambra, Enugu and Lagos states.
It was gathered that on September 4, a petition regarding a stolen child was received by the command and after the case was reported, operatives attached to the Gender Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, commenced an investigation.
The petition was said to have detailed how the mother of the child had left him in the care of one Samuel Ibe while she went to her shop. On her return however, both the child and the said Samuel were missing.
Swift investigative actions by the operatives led to the arrest of the said Samuel Ibe. Also, his confessional statement subsequently led to the arrest of his mother, Agatha Ejeweh (35 years), and his younger brother, Ejeweh Chigozie Chidera (15 years).
The operatives were said to have further extended their investigation to Enugu State, where one Angela Eze, aged 30 years, was apprehended for collaborating with one Juliet Onah in facilitating the trafficking of the stolen child to Lagos State.
The command wrote: “Acting on credible intelligence, the operatives proceeded to Lagos State, where one suspect named China Cosmas was arrested and the stolen child was rescued. The child has since been reunited with his family in good health.”
The command disclosed that all the arrested persons had given more useful information to the police operatives about their syndicate and they will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
