TheCable

The police command in Imo says it has arrested 56 suspects, involved in armed robbery, kidnapping, child trafficking, cultism, and murder among other crimes, in Owerri, the state capital.

Mohammed Barde, commissioner of police in Imo, paraded the suspects on Wednesday, describing it as a “harvest of criminals and other syndicates”.

Barde who was represented by Henry Okoye, the command’s spokesperson, said two of the suspects, were females who had been involved in child trafficking.

The child traffickers  — Chinyere Eke and Glory Okon —  were said to have been running a baby factory under the guise of a motherless baby home in Umuguma, Owerri-west LGA of the state.

The duo confessed to being members of a criminal syndicate that specialised in stealing children from unsuspecting parents in Akwa-Ibom and other parts of the country.

They added that the children are sold to buyers who either use them for child labour or ritual purposes.

The police also paraded one 29-year-old Emeka Egbuaba who murdered and harvested the body organs of one Sixtus Ezebudo from Ihite-Owerri in Orlu LGA of the state.

The suspect confessed to being an organ harvester and trafficker.

The police spokesperson said Egbuaba was arrested by the anti-kidnapping unit of the command at his hideout in Lagos.

“On interrogation, he confessed that he lured his victim to an uncompleted building in Orlu local government area of Imo state, killed him and thereafter harvested his vital body organs like his lungs, heart, and private part, abandoned his corpse at the scene and escaped to Lagos state to sell to his ritual buyers,” Okoye said.

“We intend to carry out a DNA test on the recovered corpse as the suspect will soon be charged to court upon completion of a diligent investigation.”

Also, among those paraded were over 25 enforcers of sit-at-home and child abusers.

Okoye said 15 persons who were kidnapped were rescued, including five children between the ages of four to seven years while a lifeless body, identified as Remigius Njoku, was discovered in the process.

He said the command also recovered items, including five vehicles, six motorcycles and armoured cable wires from the suspects.

“Ammunition recovered were 32 assault riffles made up of two AK47 rifles, 15 pump action guns, two cut-to-size locally made guns, 11 locally made pistols and two double barrel guns,” the police spokesperson said.

“Also recovered from the suspects were 100 rounds of live cartridges, and 70 rounds of AK47 ammunition.”

Okoye reaffirmed the command’s commitment to reducing crimes to the barest minimum in the state and warned criminals to turn away from the evil ways or be made to face the wrath of the law.