TheCable

The Kano state police command says it rescued one Muhammed Ya’u, an 11-year-old boy, kidnapped from the state.

Abdullahi Haruna, the command’s spokesman, said Ya’u was rescued by the anti-kidnapping team of Operation Puff Adder in Onitsha, Anambra state.

In recent months, there have been reports of children kidnapped in one part of the country and trafficked to other states.

According to the police, Ya’u was kidnapped in 2014 at PRP Quarters in Kano metropolis by one Paul Onwe and his wife, Mercy Paul, and sold to one Ebere Ogbodo at the sum of N200,000.

Ya’u was subsequently taken to Onitsha where he was renamed Chinedu Ogbodo.

“In continuation of the Command’s effort to rescue the children kidnapped from Kano to other parts of the country, between 05/11/2014 to 08/11/2019, the command’s Anti Kidnapping Team of Operation Puff Adder carried out another rescue operation,” a statement issued by the police read.

“During the operation, one Muhammed Ya’u ‘m’ 11 years old kidnapped in the year 2014 at PRP Quarters in Kano, was successfully rescued at Onitsha in Anambra State.

“The victim was kidnapped by Paul Onwe and Mercy Paul’ and sold to Ebere Ogbodo ‘at the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000) and renamed as Chinedu Ogbodo.

Haruna said all the three suspects are under investigation and that effort has been intensified to rescue more kidnapped children.

“The Command is using this medium to thank the good people of the state for their support, patience and efforts in fighting all forms of crime and criminality in the state,” he added.

In October, the Anambra state police rescued two children who were kidnapped in Gombe and taken to Onitsha.

In the same month, nine children from Kano were rescued after they were kidnapped and trafficked to Anambra.