Couple, four others arrested for child trafficking

Men of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Abia State, have arrested a couple and four others in connection with child trafficking. The couple, Mr. and Mrs. Ugorji and four others were arrested by operatives of Abia VGN at Abayi, Osisioma Council Area of the state. Mr. Diamond Agbarata, an Assistant Commander and Head of Intelligence and Investigation of the VGN, disclosed that he and his men were able to rescue a four-year-old from the syndicate. According to him, the boy was abducted in a church at Imo State. Agbarata said that investigations revealed that the couple was recruiting people from other parts of the southeast to join their child trafficking syndicate. He further said: “By 9p.m. on Monday, my officers within the Abayi area got information that people suspected to be child traffickers were within the neighbourhood.

My men accosted and questioned them. They said that they were going to lodge in a hotel. They didn’t look like people who had money for them to lodge in such a hotel. Our men brought them to our office, and on interrogation; they confessed that they were into child trafficking.” Speaking about the couple, Agbarata said that Mr. Ugorji’s father came to their station and told them that his son was a criminal and had once stolen his brother’s child, whom he sold. Agbarata added: “Another relative of his confirmed that Mr. Ugorji once lived with him in Lagos. Ugorji stole his money, and when the police came to arrest him, he jumped from two storey building and escaped; that was two years ago.

The suspect himself has confessed to abducting four children. The four children were kept somewhere in Aba. Our men had gone to the hideout to rescue them. A particular woman in Obigbo, River State, used to buy the children from the couple.” Agbarata said that the suspects would soon be handed over to the police for prosecution.