The Rivers State Police Command on Monday announced the rescue of a one-year-old male, victim of a child trafficking syndicate in Rivers State, arresting three suspects in the process.
The suspects were arrested on August 25, 2024, at about 6:35 a.m., by operatives from the Ubima Divisional Headquarters relying on a distress call from an informant.
According to SP Grace Iringe-Koko, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Rivers State Police who disclosed while parading the suspects before newsmen at the Command Headquarters on Monday, the mother of the rescued infant, Queen Orlu, 20-years old, was found lying unconscious in Omeka Farmland at Ucheabuor community, Ikwerre Local Government of the state with multiple injuries and her intestines protruding from an injury on her stomach.
The PPRO reported that investigation revealed that a member of the syndicate identified as Polycarp Uzoma, from Akwa in Ohaji LGA of Imo State, lured the lady into a bush path, where he attacked and left her for dead.
She noted that the suspect after attacking the mother and injuring her, stole her baby and sold it to one Happiness Amadi at the sum of N1.4 million.
SP Iring-Koko added that another suspected member of the child trafficking syndicate, Chinyere Ordu, an auxiliary nurse, brokered the transaction and received a part payment of N800,000.
She further revealed that the three arrested suspects during interrogation confessed to the crime, as the police had recovered the deposited sum of N800,000, including a bicycle as exhibits.
She added that the rescued baby boy had been reunited with his mother who was still receiving medical treatment at Intensive Care Unit of the University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH.
She said, “The suspects and exhibits are in police custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation.
“This successful operation demonstrates the commitment of the Rivers State Police Command to combating child trafficking and ensuring the safety of vulnerable individuals.”
The PPRO also announced that the Command also burst a notorious one-chance robbery gang that had been terrorizing residents of Port Harcourt for the past two years.
They were apprehended by a Police team on patrol who spotted them while robbing their victim around Garrison flyover on September 4, 2024, at about 9pm.
According to the Spokesperson of the Rivers State command the one-chance gang usually leaves a single space in the commercial vehicle for their unsuspecting victim, who upon boarding the vehicle, they would threaten and waylay and dispossess of their valuables, leaving them stranded.
She said, “The operatives swiftly apprehended the suspects in their operational vehicle, a purple-coloured Volkswagen Golf 3, with registration number Rivers-ABU 738 LS.
“The suspects are identified as Thaddeus Sunday Ogu, 42, from Orlu Community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State; Chinagorom Eze, 35, from Ekpiga Community in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State; Favour Yusuf, 30, from Plateau State were taken into custody. ”
She further explained that one of the suspects identified as Ogu attempted to evade arrest and opened fire on Police operatives and as a result, sustained bodily injuries and was rushed to the Police Clinic in Port Harcourt, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Iringe-Koko also stated that during interrogation, the One-Chance gang confessed to the crime and revealed their modus operandi.
“They would create a single passenger space in the front seat, while the gang members occupied the other spaces.
“They would then threaten and dispossess their victims of their valuables, pushing them out of the moving car. The stolen items would be sold to awaiting receivers, with the proceeds shared among the gang members.
“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include:Their operational Volkswagen Golf 3 car; One locally made pistol and one live cartridge, the suspects and exhibits are currently in Police custody as investigations continue.”
Speaking to newsmen, Chinagorom Eze, one of the one-chance suspects, who admitted to the crime, told newsmen that she had been arrested for the same crime in Delta State, and was consequently sentenced.
She said, “We did not use gun to operate, I have been doing this job for two years I have not used gun.
“How we operate is that there will be three passengers behind the car and one person in front so we wait for one unsuspecting passenger and when the person enters, one of them will feign distress to distract the passenger and while distracted, the rest will pick the passenger’s valuables and zoomed off.”
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