Police authorities in Abia State have announced the rescue of four children abducted in Umuahia by a tenant who packed into a new compound.t
It said two of the children were rescued on December 22, while another two were rescued on December 24.
Recall that a female tenant who packed into a compound, whose name could not be identified eloped with two sisters and a cousin, including the child of another tenant to an unknown destination
The spokesman of the command in Abia State, Maureen Chinaka disclosed that eight suspects including one Ifeoma Abonyi have been arrested in the cause of investigation.
She said that Abonyi, a 35-year-old female was arrested in Asaba, Delta state.
Chinaka who disclosed that a DNA test would be conducted on the children to affirm that they were the biological children of their parents, further revealed that six other children were recovered from the suspects in the cause of the investigation and arrest of the suspects.
She said that the feat was a collaborative effort of both the police and operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS); a product of the robust synergy between it and other security agencies in the state.
Chinaka in a statement issued on Monday said, “On 16 December 2023, one Mrs. Ifeanyi Udoma Ibe (Female) of Ubakala Street, Ossai Road, Umahia, reported the abduction of her children and her neighbours’ by an unidentified tenant.
“In response to the complaint, the Abia State Police Command commenced investigation into the incident. Leveraging robust technical intelligence support from the DSS in Abia state, on 22 December 2023, police detectives from Abia State Police Command, successfully apprehended one Ifeoma Abonyi, a 35-year-old female in Asaba, Delta State.
“Ifeoma Abonyi has been identified as the hitherto unknown tenant responsible for the abduction of the four children on 16/12/23.
“We are happy to inform the public that all the four missing children stolen on 16 December 2023 have now been rescued. Two of the children were rescued on 22 December 2023, while another two were rescued today 24 December 2023.
“A total of eight suspects (five females and three males) are currently helping the Police with the investigation into the crime. Three other persons suspected to be complicit in the crime are still at large. We are intensifying efforts to ensure their arrest soonest.
“Meanwhile, the investigation is ongoing to determine the real status of six other children that were found in the custody of the arrested suspects. This might entail the conduct of DNA tests, as some of the suspects are claiming that the children are their biological offspring. We shall keep the public informed of the outcome of the investigation as soon as possible.”
