Seventeen persons including a pastor of one of the new generation churches have been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS), Anambra State Command for child trafficking and kidnapping.
The suspects who also included an evangelist and two nurses bowed in shame as they were paraded yesterday at the DSS state headquarters, Awka.
Raiding the suspects’ hide out, the DSS had rescued three children: three-year-old Chinonso Oriuwa, two-year-old Chidera Abiara and his seven-month-old sister Chinasa Abiara all of who were taken away from their parents by the suspects.
Out of the 17 arrested suspects, three are males; Pastor Chinuru Martins from Umuahia in Abia State, Solomon Loveday Nwadinobi from Umuahia and Chiko Chima Ogu from Obowu in Imo state.
The females are, Nnena Ogbonna Nwachukwu from Bende in Abia state, Eunice Tochukwu Uwakwe from Obowu, Glory Nnennaya Okwara, a nurse from Arochukwu, Felicia Ebeh (Mbaise) and Esther Eleanya (Abiriba).
Others are, Ifeoma Iwu (Obowu), Anurika Theophilus, Osisioma in Abia state, Evangelist Adora Nwaneri, from Orlu in Imo state, Loveth Nwankwo (Isiala Ngwa in Abia) and Comfort Charity Ononuju.
Speaking to newsmen while parading the suspects, the State Director of DSS, Mr. Alex Okeiyi, stated that in recent times there had been rampant cases of missing children noting that many churches and their pastors were involved in the business, which he said has become a source of worry to both the society and security agencies.
He said, “This is beyond child trafficking, it is pure kidnap and they will be handed over to the relevant authorities for further action”
Okeiyi explained that the 17 persons arrested were made up of some members of the syndicate and buyers of the children, stressing that the operation was carried out by his command in collaboration with the Abia state command of the Service and men of the 144 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Asa in Abia state.
Filed under: Crime Zone Tagged: Child trafficking
