By Chuks Onuoha ….,,Unuahia.
A 21 year old notorious KIDNAPPER/Child trafficker in Umuahia, Abia state capital, Ifeanyi Good luck Joseph, from Nsukwe, Ubakala, in Umuahia South LGA of Abia State, who abducted a 4 year old baby boy, at Laguru Ubakala, in the same LGA, with intention to sell him to buyers has been arrested by men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC.
The men of NSCDC, used his mobile phone that fell off while he attempted to escape from the law, to track and arrest him on Sunday, October 17, 2021.
This is contained in a press statement, signed by NSCDC Command P.R.O., Ndukwe Agu Egwu, made available to Sunnews Times in Umuahia, Abia state capital.
The statement stated that Joseph had allegedly kidnapped the child, who was only able to introduce his name as Wisdom, and started negotiating with buyers, when information got to men of NSCDC, who swung into action and tracked him down in hi family compound, at Nsukwe.
According to the statement, the suspect who confessed to the crime revealed that he lures his victims with biscuits, Sweet, and promises to buy enticing children items to them.
He was said to have been arrested in his family house through a sustained surveillance after he narrowly escaped first arrest a week earlier, before intelligence was put on his criminal activities especially child trafficking.
Speaking to newsmen in Umuahia, The Abia State Commandant of NSCDC- Mr. Ayinla Taiye Olowo, who briefed newsmen on the matter said that the suspect was arrested through an actionable intelligence.
Commandant Ayinla also said his Men were on the trail of the suspect from Sunday, October 10th 2021 when they received a tip-off that the suspect had allegedly kidnapped the child with intention to sell him to any willing buyer.
” I quickly mobilized my Men and worked closely with the informant who passed a contact number of one of my Men who posed as willing buyers. The suspect insisted on selling the Child for five hundred thousand Naira only ( N500,000. 00) and we tactically demanded a full information on the Child’s HIV status, Genotype, blood group and other medical details. In his desperation to fulfill all the conditions and have his money, he came out of his hiding with the Child to an agreed hospital”
” On getting to the hospital, he sensed danger and took to his heels, we pursued him, we rescued the innocent Child, handed him over to his parents- Mr./Mrs Asikus Samma- a serving Police Inspector from Taraba State, who is resident at Laguru, Ubakala. Thereafter we tracked him down to his family Compound at Nsukwe, Ubakala, in Umuahia South LGA of Abia State using his mobile phone which fell off from him while trying to escape”
The Commandant explained that the suspect revealed that he enticed and abducted Wisdom through his grandfather’s motorcycle with the promise to buy biscuits and sweet for him.
Commandant Ayinla commended his Men for their gallantry and professionalism which led to the successful arrest of the suspect, and appreciated the Commandant General- Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi for his administration’s Staff friendly policies which have enhanced personnel capacity and productivity.
He seized the opportunity to advise parents to closely monitor the activities of their wards, adding that it was onus on them and all care givers to ensure the safety of children under their care.
” The practice of living underage children to their fate while parents pursue their daily business was no longer fashionable in an era where kidnapping for ransom was on the increase especially in the Ember Months.
He said that the suspect will be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons ( NAPTIP) Abia State Command for continuation of Investigations and prosecution.
He called on the general public to always volunteer useful information to Security Agencies in the State for enhanced security service delivery to the people adding that security remains everyone’s business at a time like this, and promised that NSCDC remains fully committed to a crime free society as far as Abia is concerned. END
