Crime

Shocking!!How 8 Children Kidnapped In Kano In 2014, Recovered In Anambra in 2019, Five Years Later (pics)

The Police Command in Kano state has Friday, rescued and reunited nine kids with their respective families. The kids were allegedly kidnapped and sold off to Anambra state for trafficking. Aged between 2 to 10 years old the children were said to have been kidnapped from various locations within the State capital at different times.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu who handed the kids to their respective families said some of them had gone missing since 2014, but were traced down to Anambra State where they had been sold off.

Parading the suspects at the command’s headquarters, the CP, said the command was alerted about the mysterious nature of disappearance of children from neighbourhood by one Sagir Mohammed Bako.

He said the syndicate ran out of luck when the ring leader one 8 children kidnapped in Kano in 2014, rescued in Anambra in 2019, five years later and his wife Mercy Paul were arrested in the process of moving one of their kidnapped victims, Haruna Sagir Bako to Onitsha.

The CP disclosed that, Bako was kidnapped on September 11, 2019, on his way home from Islamiyya School, at Yankaba quarters, of the State capital. Iliyasu said the suspects’ confession during interrogation led the command to extend its investigation to Anambra state where eight other trafficked children had already been sold. Some of the children our reporter observed have lost connection with northern tradition as some of them could barely speak Hausa language their mother tongue.

CP Iliyasu said, ”The suspects confessed to have conspired among themselves and kidnapped various children from areas like Sauna, Kwanar Jaba, Kawo, Hotoro, Yankaba and Dakata quarters, all within the Kano metropolis.” Among the suspects paraded over the alleged kidnap and trafficking of children were Paul Owne, Mercy Paul, Emmanuel Igwe, Ebere Ogbodo, Louisa Duru and Monica Orachaa.

Responding to questions from reporters, the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping, Paul Owne disclosed that he had realized over N2m as proceeds from the crime. He said he had kidnapped and moved seven children to Anambra state within five years. He said he sold the children to some childless women in the state, adding for each child he earned around N200, 000.

Ebere Ogbodo an alleged buyer said she was introduced to Owne who based in the north by one Emmanuel Igwe. She said Owne told her that his wife works at motherless babies’ home and thus accepts the children from him. She added that she bought the child because she has no child.

Some of the victims

What leads to the rescue

One of the suspects

Between year 2014 to 2019, one Sagir Mohammed Bako of Yankaba quarters and others reported to the commissioner of police that several number of their children whose age are between two and six years have been kidnapped and taken away to unknown destination by unknown persons.

On September 12, at about 11:00am one Paul Owne of Dakata Quarters and Mercy Paul alias Maimuna of same address were arrested while trying to take one of the kidnapped victims, Haruna Sagir Bako, to Onitsha in Anambra State.

The victim was kidnapped a day earlier on his way back from Islamiyya School at Yankaba Quarters by Messrs Onwe and Paul.

While advising parents to be vigilant, a security source said a number of similar syndicates are operating in the state.

“Parents should be very watchful and avoid what will leave them in perpetual agony. The kidnappers are on the prowl. They will just kidnap today, board luxurious bus the next day and sell off children for slavery,” he said.

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