The police in Cross River State, on Friday, paraded Idongesit Akpan and his wife, Angela, over alleged child theft and trafficking.
The police also paraded other suspects over alleged involvement in various kinds of crime in the state.
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The Commissioner of Police in Cross River, Gyogon Grimah, said the couple lured their Facebook friend, Blessing Godday, who lives in Obubara, to Akamkpa with the pretext of giving her a job.
“Following the promise of a job, she travelled to Akamkpa with her two sons, aged five and three.
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“Upon arrival at Akamkpa on 6 December, they took her and the two children to Aba in Abia State, where she was separated from her children.
“When Godday could not see her children again, she returned to Akamkpa, traced the suspects’ home and brought in the police,” he said.
Mr Grimah said that during an investigation, it was discovered that the suspects had been involved in child theft and trafficking.
“They had earlier sold a six-year-old child for N800,000. They have concluded plans to sell Godday’s children for N2.4 million,” he said.
The police commissioner described child theft and trafficking as crimes against humanity which should not be condoned in any society.
He said that during the year, the command charged 399 cases to court, conclusively prosecuted 19 and got 15 convictions.
“Four of the cases were discharged but not acquitted, two are on appeal, 376 are awaiting trial, and 48 have been transmitted to the director of public prosecution for advice,” he said.
Speaking to reports, Mr Akpan admitted luring Ms Godday to Akamkpa with the intention to sell her children, and added, “But this is our first time to indulge in child stealing”
“We do not even know how much we would have been given for the sale of the children, we truly regret our actions now,” he said.
(NAN)
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