The Rivers State Police Command has arrested three suspects for the alleged abduction and sale of one year-old boy for N1.4 million in Ubima Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The spokesperson of the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police (SP), told newsmen that the child was stolen from the mother, one Queen Orlu after a man, Polycarp Uzoma had lured her to the bush, inflicted her with matchet cuts and left her to die.
The suspects there after abandoned the woman, took the boy from her and proceeded to sell the child to the other suspects, who were tracked by the police.
The three persons the police arrested for the crime include the Uzoma the mastermind, the buyer of the child and the person who linked Uzoma to the buyer.
Iringe-Koko said: “On August 25, 2024, at about 6.35 a.m., operatives of the command attached to Ubima Divisional Headquarters received a complaint from a middle-aged woman (name and address withheld) indicating that one Queen Orlu ‘f’ aged 20 years was seen lying unconscious in Omeka Farmland at Ucheabuor.
“Operatives immediately mobilized to the sceandne where the victim was m s
et in a pool of blood with multiple injuries all over her body and her intestines protruding out of a cut on her stomach.
“Police investigations revealed that the victim was lured into a bush path at Ubima by one Polycarp Uzoma ‘m’ of Akwa in Ohaji LGA of Imo State, but presently resident at Ubima.”
The police spokesperson added:”He used a bicycle to convey her to the designated spot and then attacked her, hitting her repeatedly with a stick and a yet-to-be-identified weapon. When she became unconscious, he took her one-year-old baby boy, Desire Orlu and left her for dead, then sold the baby to one Happiness Amadi ‘f’ for One Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira (#1,400,000.00).
“The deal was brokered by one Chinyere Ordu ‘f’ an acclaimed auxiliary nurse who received the sum of Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (#800,000.00) as part payment for the trafficking deal.
SP Iringe-Koko assured that the three suspects have been arrested and confessed to the crime and the Police have recovered the sum of Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (#800,000.00) and Bicycle as exhibits adding that the one-year-old baby boy has been rescued and the victim is currently on admission at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital for medical treatment.
“Suspects and exhibits are in Police custody and will be charged in court upon the conclusion of the investigation,’ she added.