News
DSS Nab Kidnapping and Human Trafficking Syndicate in Benue State
Photo (1) Parents with photographs of their abducted relations (2) Arrested kidnappers (3) Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, some state officials with rescued kidnap victims. Photos: Attah Ede
The Benue State Command of the Department of State Services (DSS), in collaboration with the State Security Council on Wednesday paraded 11 persons suspected to be specialists in stealing and selling children across the country, PUNCH reports.
The kingpin of the syndicate, Adejo Ogiri a.k.a Okala said he had kidnapped four children and handed them to one Ezekiel, a bus driver from Imo state.
“Each time I kidnapped children from any part of the state, I usually took them to Ezekiel who in turn, would hand them over to his wife, Amarachi, who specialised in receiving stolen children for the purposes I don’t know. I was paid N1m for kidnapping little Miracle Jacob. But it led to the bursting of the syndicate,” Ogiri added.
One Affonne Nwokocha from Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, who facilitated the buying and selling of children was also paraded.
Speaking during the parade of the suspects at the Benue People’s House, Makurdi, Governor Samuel Ortom explained that the final payment of N700,000 made by one Augustine Basil for Jacob was deposited in Nwokocha’s Bank account, adding that the suspect also confessed to have facilitated the adoption of a child for one Henry Ndukwe in 2013, for the sum of N500,000.
The governor assured that the DSS and the State Security Council were working with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Benue state to further investigate and prosecute the syndicate.
Photo Credit: Attah Ede/PUNCH
