Emma Sunday
The Police in Rivers State Police has rescued a six month old baby from a fleeing kidnapping suspect in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The child, Lucky Sunday was reportedly kidnapped one Mr Erica, a co-tenant with child’s parent on Sunday 29th September, 2024, at 25 Aneke Lane in Mile 2 Diobu, in Port Harcourt City local government area of Rivers State.
The suspect Mr. Erica, we learnt, after abducting the six month child ran away to Uyo, Akwa/Ibom State same day.
A police source who didn’t mention his name told Journalists that detectives from Mile 1 Police Division trailed the suspect, Erica to Uyo, arrested him and brought him back to Port Harcourt two weeks ago.
Before he was arrested, the suspect was said to have sold the baby for five hundred thousand naira (N500,000.00).
Our source disclosed that, the prime suspect upon interrogation revealed that the person who bought the child, took the child to Enugu State.
Information available to our correspondent revealed that the child was rescued on Sunday, 3rd November, 2024 while the female buyer and four other suspects, bringing the total to six suspects have been arrested and are currently cooling off in police cell.
Father of the child, Aniekan Sunday confirmed the rescue of the child and arrest of six suspects but did not give further details.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the incident, noting that efforts are on to arrest other fleeing suspects connected to the crime.
Reacting to the development, a Rights Advocate and National Coordinator of Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability, Comrade Prince Wiro commended the Police officers for their hard work and due diligence in the rescue of the child and arrests of six suspects.
According to Wiro, “we sincerely commend the officers attached to Mile 1 Police Division for rescue of the child. It shows high level of professionalism and due diligence.
“We think that the officers deserve an award from the Police Authority in the state. We equally urge the Police to arraign any of the arrested suspects found culpable during investigation in court, for justice to be served and seen to be served so as to serve as deterrent to others who may want to toil the same line of action”.