The Akwa Ibom State Police has arrested a suspected child trafficker, Peace Patrick Paul, who stole two children and attempted to kill their mother.
The State Police Commissioner, CP Olatoye Durosinmi, paraded Peace at the police headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, Uyo on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. alongside three other women, Mary Eunice, Bella Uko, and Alayodi Paul Onyekwere, who were arrested for child trafficking.
The CP explained that Peace deceived Utibeabasi Monday Enang, both of Obot Akara L.G.A, and stole her two children, who are three and five years old, in May 2023, and sold them to Eunice in Aba, Abia State, who in turn sold them to Uko in Asaba, Delta State.
Durosinmi said the mother of the stolen children was almost beaten to death when she demanded her children from the suspect and had to flee for her life.
The Commissioner of Police also disclosed that the another female suspect, Alayodi Paul Onyekwere of Abroma, Rivers State, was arrested for stealing the 11-year-old daughter of Emmanuel Macauley Daniel of Ikot Ikot Village in Obot Akara LGA.
“The suspect alleged that she was sent by her grandmother to steal the child, which she led operatives to recover in Rivers State. The children are here today and will be reunited with their families,” the CP added.
In an interview with newsmen, the mother of the two children, Utibeabasi Enang, narrated how the suspect deceived her with a promise to take her to a hospital in Ikot Abasi to treat her for an ailment but attempted to kill her after taking her children to an unknown destination.
“After Peace took me to the hospital in Ikot Abasi, where it was diagnosed that I had internal heat, she took me to the houses of her different boyfriends, where we stayed for over three weeks. When I started asking for my children, she promised to take me to where they were.
“On our way, she asked the driver to stop by a bridge, saying we would have to cross the bridge. As we were trying to cross the bridge, Peace started beating me and attempted to push me into the river, but I struggled with her until a man who lived close by came to rescue me.
“He took me to his house, where I used his phone to call someone to send me money because Peace had seized my phone from me.
“When I returned to my village, I reported the matter to my village chairman, who reported the case to Yak Iyamma organisation. I really thank God that after everything, my children were found.”