The Gombe State Police Command has arrested16 suspects over child trafficking and criminal conspiracy in the state and rescued three babies.
Spokesperson of the command, ASP Mahid Abubakar, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, noted that the suspects were arrested last weekend following an intelligence report received from the Barunde community.
He said three babies were rescued from the suspects within the state, while two others were trafficked out of the state.
According to the PPRO, one Khadija Shehu-Manzo colluded with 15 others including staff of Gombe Local Government Area.
“The community claimed that sometime within last year, one Khadija Shehu-Manzo and 15 others were involved in selling young babies to people in need,” he said.
Upon receipt of the report, detectives attached to Low-Cost Division started work, a full-blown investigation was carried out and the said Shehu-Manzo was arrested.
“The remaining suspects arrested confirmed that Shehu-Manzo allegedly sold two babies to Ukamaka Ugo on different occasions.
“Shehu-Manzo sold one child N400,000 out of the money from Tina Raphael, she gave N200,000 to one Haruna Abubakar, who is working with the Social Welfare Gombe,”
Abubakar disclosed that two babies were trafficked to Lagos and Anambra, adding that the command would do everything within its power to recover them.
“Ukamaka Ugo bought two children, one of them presently in Lagos and the other in Anambra. We are working to see how to recover them as well,” he added.