Security officials attached to the Quick Intervention Squad
in Calabar, Cross River State on Tuesday arrested two women alleged to be part
of a child-trafficking syndicate.
Commander of the QIS, which comprises various security
agencies, Capt. Mohammed Tanko, said the women were arrested at Eta-Agbor Road
where they were transacting the sale of an unidentified, two-year old boy for
N600, 000.
Tanko said, “The arrested suspects also attempted to bribe
the QIS officials with N500, 000 when they were rounded up.”
The suspects, who were 30-year-old trader from the Etinan
Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and a 33-year-old Health Record
Officer at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital from Akpabuyo LGA,
admitted to the crime.
The trader said her husband worked with a church in Abuja,
while the health record officer disclosed that her husband was an official of
the Federal Road Safety Corps in Abuja. Both of them said they were married
with children.
The suspect from Akpabuyo, who served as a middleman between
the seller and the buyer, said she was an employee of the University of Calabar
Teaching Hospital.
She said, “I got the child from Akpabuyo. My gain from the
transaction was N20, 000.”
According to her, the buyer said she needed a child to
adopt, but didn’t want to go through the proper process because she feared that
one day the child would be collected by the government.
The suspect from Etinan, who was the buyer, said she had
already paid the said sum.
The state Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey, said,
“Investigation is ongoing to bring their accomplices to book. The suspects will
be handed over to the police.”
Bassey said the state would continue to uphold a zero
tolerance policy to all forms of crime.
He also said due to the present security situation in the
country, there would be more visible security presence across the state with
emphasis on the capital, Calabar.
He urged the public not to worry about the presence of the security
officials, adding that the residents must continue to help the government in
the fight against crime.
He lauded the sources that gave information that led to the
arrest of the women and urged members of the public to do same.
Source: Punch
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