From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command said it has arrested four persons suspected to be involved in child trafficking and rescued 10 victims in the state.
The feat was recorded on Saturday, January 7, 2023, when operatives of C4i Intelligence Unit of the Police, who acted on a credible report, raided two houses at Igwuruta and Omagwa communities respectively, where victims of child trafficking were being kept.
During the operation, two female suspects, including the leader of the trafficking syndicate, Peace Alikoi, 40 years, from Umudioga community in Emohua Local Government Area of the state, and two others (male) were apprehended.
The victims rescued in the operation, most of them pregnant, were aged between 15 and 29 years.
State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police (SP), in a statement disclosed that an investigation into the case revealed that when the victim delivered, the syndicate leader would keep the baby while she pays the victim a sum of N500,000.00.
Iringe-Koko said the victims confessed that they were lured to the illicit sales of children because of the need to meet some financial challenges.
She disclosed that a Honda Pilot Jeep (white) with Reg. Number, Lagos, FST 607 AX, was recovered from the syndicate leader.
According to her, the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) and efforts were intensified to track and arrest the buyers of the children already sold out.
“The Command wishes to reaffirm its commitment to reducing crime and criminality in all its forms to bare minimum,” she said.
“While painstaking effort is being deployed to ensure the above, members of the public are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.”
