How Stolen Children Were Bought And Sold For Rituals

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Police operatives from the Anambra State Command have uncovered how children are stolen from the Northern part of Nigeria and sold by a syndicate for ritual purposes in collaboration with a government worker in Anambra, other part of the eastern States and beyond.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the act was uncovered on 19th February, 2021, following an intelligence report by police operatives attached to 3-3 Police Station, Nkwelle Ezunaka, in conjunction with the local vigilante group, who boasted the gang.

The Police raided a house at Federal Housing Estate, 3-3 Area, Onitsha, and arrested one Rejoice Raymond, ‘f’ 39 and Mrs. Chidi Felicia Nwafor, ‘f, 80, all natives of Umunya in Oyi LGA of Anambra State.

This was disclosed by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Haruna Mohammed, in a statement at the Police Command headquarters in Awka, Anambra State.

He said that preliminary investigations revealed that the three children were allegedly sold to the suspects by a notorious child trafficking kingpin identified as Sabina Izoura ‘f’ who had been on Police wanted list for child trafficking, child stealing and forgery.

CSP Mohammed said further investigations also revealed that the suspect was involved in unlawful adoptions, using forged Police reports, forged authorization letters from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and sworn Court affidavits, to sell children stolen from all parts of the country to her waiting customers, both within and outside Nigeria; including a recent attempt to smuggle out two children (a boy and a girl) allegedly stolen from Niger State since 2018.

Meanwhile, all the children recovered by the Police are presently under the protective care of the Anambra State Ministry for Social Welfare, Women’s and Children’s Affairs, pending when their biological parents will surface.

Investigations are still ongoing and efforts are being intensified to apprehend other accomplices in order to bring them to justice.

Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Bala Kuryas, has enjoined Ndi Anambra and the general public to apprehend or report at the nearest Police station, or call police emergency number 07039194332, whenever they see Mrs. Sabina Izuorah ‘f’ formerly of Social welfare Dept Awka South LGA but recently transferred to Social Welfare Department Ihiala LGA presently at large to Police arrest in connection with the offence of child stealing/ trafficking, forgery and perjury.