Suspects arrested and paraded for “One Chance” gang,child trafficking syndicates 

* Rescue victim from from murder 

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt 

Operatives of the Rivers Police Command have busted a child trafficking syndicate at Ubima in Ikwerre local government area of Rivers State and arrested three suspects who stole and sold a one-year-old male baby for N1.4 million and shared the proceeds.

The Police said that on August 25, 2024, at about 6.35 a.m., Operatives of the Command attached to Ubima Divisional Headquarters received a complaint from a middle-aged woman (name and address withheld) indicating that one Miss Queen Orlu, aged 20 years was seen lying unconscious in Omeka Farmland at Ucheabuor in Ubima.

According to SP Grace Iringe-Koko, Spokesperson for the Rivers Command, Operatives immediately mobilised to the scene where the victim was met in a pool of blood with multiple injuries all over her body and her intestines protruding out of a cut on her stomach.

(4) SP Iringe-Koko,(middle) Spokesperson for the Rivers Police Command briefing Journalists in Port Harcourt
She told Journalists in Port Harcourt that Police investigations revealed that the victim was lured into a bush path at Ubima by one Polycarp Uzoma from Akwa in Ohaji Local Government Area of Imo State, but presently resident at Ubima.

“He used a bicycle to convey her to the designated spot and then attacked her, hitting her repeatedly with a stick and a yet-to-be-identified weapon. When she became unconscious, he took her one-year-old baby boy, Desire Orlu and left her for dead.

“He then sold the baby to Madam Happiness Amadi for One Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,400,000.00). The deal was brokered by one Madam Chinyere Ordu, a self-acclaimed auxiliary nurse who received the sum of Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N800,000.00) as part payment for the trafficking deal”.

SP Iringe-Koko,(middle) Spokesperson for the Rivers Police Command briefing Journalists in Port Harcourt

The three suspects have been arrested and confessed to the crime and the Police have recovered the sum of Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N800,000.00) and Bicycle as exhibits.

The one-year-old baby boy has also been rescued and the victim is currently on admission at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital for medical treatment.

Suspects and exhibits are in Police custody and will be charged in court upon the conclusion of the investigation.

Meanwhile, in a related development, three suspects involved in the “One Chance” operation robbing passengers of their valuables operating with a purple coloured Volkswagen Golf 3 were on September 4, 2024, at about 9 pm arrested by Operatives of the Rivers Police Command attached to the Intelligence and Surveillance Unit.

While parading the suspects, on behalf of the CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu the Commissioner of Police, the Command’s Spokesperson SP  Iringe-Koko who gave details of the arrest said that the operatives were on a routine patrol along Garrison axis of Aba road, Port-Harcourt, sighted a Purple coloured Volkswagen Golf 3, with registration number RIVERS -ABU 738 LS with six occupants.

“As the patrol van approached the vehicle, one of the occupants was pushed out of the Car around the Garrison flyover area.

“This heinous action heightened suspicions of the Operatives who then gave the vehicle a hot chase, eventually intercepting the suspects at the Eleme junction just under the bridge”.

She said the driver and one other suspect escaped. At the same time, the Police apprehended three suspects namely Thaddeus Sunday Ogu, a 42-year-old native of Orlu Community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State and self-acclaimed Artisan, residing at Camp Pipeline, Oyigbo, Miss Chinagorom Eze, aged 35 years, a native of Ekpija Community in Enugu North LGA of Enugu State, but resident at Railway, Oboama Oyigbo and Miss Favour Yusuf aged 30 years and a native of Plateau State, presently residing at Anele Filling Station, Mbano Camp, Oyigbo.

Iringe-Koko stated further one of the suspects, Thaddeus Sunday Ogu attempted to evade arrest by opening fire on the Police operatives which led to him sustaining bodily injuries that eventually proved fatal. He was taken to the Police Clinic, Port-Harcourt where he died.

Volkswagen Golf 3 used for robbing passengers.

Explaining further on their method of operation the Command said that “preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects specialize in ‘one chance’ operations, by luring unsuspecting victims into their operational car posing as a commercial vehicle. They would create a single passenger space (chance) at the front seat, while the gang members would occupy every other chance. When a victim gets in, they would raise a false alarm to get the victim agitated, eventually dispossessing him or her of their money or phones and pushing them out of the moving car. They would then sell the stolen items to awaiting receivers and share the proceeds amongst themselves”.

She also said that the suspects confessed to the crime and revealed that they had been operating in Port-Harcourt and its environs between 10 pm to 5 am daily for the past three years before meeting their Waterloo on that fateful day.

Items recovered from the suspects include their operational Golf 3 Volkswagen Car and one locally-made pistol with one live cartridge.

The Command assured that as the investigation is ongoing, efforts have intensified to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate, while the suspects and exhibits are in Police custody and will be charged in court after the investigation.