The Police Command in Benue State said on Sunday that its operatives had rescued three children from the hands of their abductors in Rivers State.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP. Catherine Anene said in a statement that two of the children, Philomena Kpaakpa and Benedict Kpaakpa, have already been reunited with their parents, while the third child, Godsgift Julius’s parent, is yet to be identified.
Anene said that Philomena, 6, and Benedict, 2, were taken away from their mother’s kiosk in front of their home in Makurdi in September by an unidentified woman. The woman lured the children with a local snack and told them that she would give them change for a N1000 note.
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She said that the police received a tip-off from the Rivers State Police Command on October 20 that three children had been rescued from a medical doctor in the Rumu-Okoro area. A team of detectives from Benue was sent to Rivers to identify the children.
Anene said Philomena and Benedict were identified, as well as a third child, Godsgift Julius, whose parents are yet to be identified. Philomena and Benedict have been reunited with their family, while Godsgift is still in the care of the police.
The PPRO said that the medical doctor is being investigated in Rivers State, while efforts are being made to locate his accomplices in Benue. She urged parents, guardians, teachers, and everyone who works with children to be more vigilant to prevent child trafficking.
