Metro

Why I sold my friend’s child for N1.3m, by suspect

Published

2 months ago

July 5, 2026

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In a chilling confession, Sunday Onome has recounted how his alleged involvement in a child trafficking operation earned him millions of naira before his arrest alongside his girlfriend and son in Onitsha, Anambra State.

For years, Onome, an indigene of Ebonyi State, lived an ordinary life as a private driver, earning a modest income while trying to provide for his family. Today, however, he is in police custody, accused of participating in one of society’s most disturbing crimes.

In a detailed confession to investigators with the IGP Special Team on the VCRU, Onome narrated how he allegedly became involved in child trafficking, claiming he received a total of N3.6 million from two completed operations before his arrest.

His confession, which forms part of an ongoing police investigation, describes an alleged operation built on trust, deception and financial reward. According to him, what began as an opportunity to make quick money gradually drew him deeper into a network that moved children across states while those believed to be coordinating the operation remained largely behind the scenes.

Onome told investigators that before his arrest, he worked as a private driver, delivering vehicles and running errands for his employer. The job provided a legitimate source of income until he lost it after being absent during one of his assignments, leaving him unemployed and searching for another means of survival.

According to his confession, his search for income eventually brought him into contact with people allegedly involved in child trafficking. During that period, he met a woman through the network, and their relationship gradually became intimate. She later became his girlfriend, and together they allegedly carried out assignments while maintaining communication with those coordinating the movement of children.

The first assignment, according to Onome, marked the beginning of his deeper involvement. He admitted that the child involved was the son of one of his close friends who trusted him completely. Because of that relationship, he said, the child did not suspect anything unusual when he was taken away.

Onome confessed that after handing the child over to members of the alleged trafficking network, he received N1.3 million. He described it as the largest amount of money he had ever received at once and admitted that the payment convinced him the operation was highly profitable.

Rather than stop after the first transaction, Onome said he accepted another assignment. This time, he allegedly facilitated the movement of two more children and was paid N2.3 million. By his account, the two operations earned him a combined total of N3.6 million before the network was disrupted.

As his confidence grew, so did the alleged network’s trust in him. Onome claimed he became one of the people regularly contacted whenever children needed to be transported from one location to another. Instructions were allegedly communicated by telephone, while payments were made into his bank account after each assignment. He said the organisers rarely met him in person, preferring to direct operations remotely.

His girlfriend, according to his statement, became an active participant in the operation. While he handled the movement of children, she allegedly maintained contact with other members of the network, helping to coordinate arrangements throughout the assignments.

Onome also admitted involving his own son. According to his confession, the boy assisted during some assignments by helping to move children to agreed locations before they were allegedly handed over to other members of the trafficking ring. He acknowledged that his son’s involvement resulted from his own actions.

The assignment that ultimately led to their arrest involved two more children. Onome said he travelled with them to Onitsha, where another contact was expected to receive them. After arriving in the city, he checked into a hotel with the children because those scheduled to collect them reportedly said they could not meet him immediately.

He claimed he remained at the hotel while awaiting further instructions. During that period, money was allegedly transferred to him to cover accommodation and feeding expenses for himself and the children. He believed the handover would proceed as it had during previous assignments.

But this time, events unfolded differently.

Before the children could allegedly be handed over, security operatives closed in on the suspects. Investigators had tracked the children’s movement to Onitsha, leading to the arrest of Onome, his girlfriend and his son, bringing what he admitted had become a lucrative criminal enterprise to an end.

Now in custody, Onome has provided investigators with what police describe as a detailed account of his alleged role in the operation. He admitted receiving N1.3 million for the first child and N2.3 million for the second assignment involving two children, while explaining how the operation was organised and how communication was maintained among those allegedly involved.

His confession is expected to play a key role in the ongoing investigation as detectives work to identify other suspects and determine the full scope of the alleged trafficking network. Authorities are also expected to verify every aspect of his statement and establish the role of every person mentioned in the confession.

Beyond the criminal investigation, the case has once again drawn attention to the devastating impact of child trafficking in Nigeria. It highlights how children can allegedly become victims through people they know and trust, including family friends and close associates. The confession also underscores the challenges facing law enforcement agencies as trafficking syndicates increasingly rely on trusted relationships and carefully coordinated operations to evade detection.

For the family of the child whom Onome admitted was his friend’s son, the confession represents a painful account of an alleged betrayal by someone they believed they could trust. For investigators, it presents another opportunity to dismantle a network accused of profiting from the exploitation of vulnerable children.

Metro

Police recover assault rifles, ammunition, battle axe in Delta

Published

20 hours ago

September 14, 2026

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The Delta State Police Command has intensified its crackdown on illegal firearms and violent crime across the state, with separate intelligence-led operations by the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) and Command Anti-Cult Unit (CACU) leading to the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of two pump-action guns, 18 live cartridges and other dangerous items.

The Delta State Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, said the latest operations, carried out in Obiaruku and Isupe Community in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, was the command’s renewed efforts to disrupt the circulation of illicit weapons believed to have the potential to fuel cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes.

According to Edafe, the first operation, operatives of the VCRU, acted on credible intelligence, and stormed a residence in Obiaruku on September 12, 2026, following information that the occupant was allegedly in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

He said the suspect, identified as 36-year-old Joel Iwomi of Umuebu, Obiaruku, reportedly resisted the operatives’ attempt to gain access to the premises.

The police, however, succeeded in gaining entry and subsequently conducted a search of the residence; and during the search, operatives recovered one pump-action gun and 18 live cartridges, he declared.

He said Iwomi was arrested and taken into custody, while investigation has commenced to determine the source of the firearm and ammunition and establish whether the suspect has any links with other criminal networks operating within or outside the community.

In a separate operation conducted on September 9, 2026, operatives of the CACU arrested another suspect, identified as Chukwuka Nzete, also known as “Ododo,” of Isupe Community, Ndokwa West LGA.

The police image maker said Nzete was suspected of involvement in the illegal sale and proliferation of firearms and allegedly operated a shrine where suspected criminal elements were purportedly fortified.

Following his arrest, operatives searched his residence and recovered another pump-action gun, four dagger knives, one battle axe and pots containing substances suspected to be charms.

The police spokesperson further disclosed that the suspect was also taken into custody as detectives commenced investigation aimed at determining the full extent of his alleged activities and identifying possible associates and criminal groups connected to him.

The recovery of the firearms and ammunition has heightened concerns over the availability of illicit weapons in communities, particularly against the backdrop of persistent efforts by security agencies to prevent criminal elements from acquiring arms capable of escalating violent confrontations.

The Delta Police Command said the operations formed part of its intelligence-driven strategy to identify and dismantle sources of illegal firearms before such weapons are deployed in the commission of crimes.

Metro

UK Prosecutors Confirm Poco Lee Still Due In Court Over Sexual Offence Charges

Published

2 days ago

September 13, 2026

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The sexual offence case involving Nigerian dancer and entertainer Iweh Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, remains active in the United Kingdom, with his plea and trial preparation hearing scheduled for September 15, 2026.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed the development in response to an inquiry by PUNCH Online on Saturday.

The CPS Press Office said Odinaka remained scheduled to appear before Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 15 for a Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing (PTPH).

“This case is still live, and Odinaka is still set to appear for a PTPH at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 15 September 2026,” the CPS said.

A PTPH is a pre-trial hearing at which matters relating to a defendant’s plea and preparations for trial are considered.

The CPS clarification followed reports circulating online claiming that Poco Lee had been released from a UK prison and that the complainant had withdrawn from the case or that the matter had been settled out of court.

However, the CPS did not clarify whether Odinaka had been released from custody or remained on remand.

PUNCH Online also contacted Snaresbrook Crown Court for clarification on his current custody or bail status but was yet to receive a response at the time of the report.

Odinaka is facing five sexual offence charges in the UK — attempted rape, two counts of rape and two counts of assault by penetration.

Snaresbrook Crown Court had previously confirmed that the case was listed for a plea and trial preparation hearing on September 15.

The court also imposed a reporting restriction to protect the anonymity of the complainant under Section 1 of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992.

The case followed Odinaka’s visit to the UK in August for the Davido and Friends concert held at Crystal Palace Bowl in London on August 14.

Odinaka has not been convicted of any offence, and the allegations against him are yet to be determined by the court.

Metro

24 youth die in Ondo after consuming poisonous substance

Published

5 days ago

September 10, 2026

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The Ondo State Government, on Wednesday, confirmed the deaths of 24 residents of Odigbo Local Government Area of the state following the consumption of a herbal liquid substance.

No fewer than 24 residents of two communities in the council area, Araromi Obu and Odigbo town, reportedly lost their lives after consuming the substance.

The incident, which was said to have occurred on Saturday, has thrown the affected communities into mourning.

A source in the area who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the deceased consumed the substance at different locations on Saturday but later became unconscious, leading to their deaths. At the same time, some others who also consumed it were rushed to hospitals.

The source said, “They (the deceased) drank the herbal substance and started dying. Eight people died in Araromi Obu while 16 others lost their lives in Odigbo town, but we have yet to confirm if it was what they drank that killed them. But we are sure that the people died after drinking the herbal drinks.

“Some of the people died in their sleep while some died when they got home, and many are still in the hospital as I am talking to you.”

Confirming the incident in a telephone interview with our correspondent, the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, Mr Taiwo Adegoroye, said the deceased consumed the substance before the incident, adding that they were waiting for a medical team to carry out an autopsy to determine the actual cause of the deaths.

Adegoroye said, “We can confirm the death of 24 people, eight in Araromi Obu and 16 in Odigbo town, and many are still on admission at hospitals. But we have yet to ascertain the cause of the deaths, and we are still waiting for the team from the state Ministry of Health to carry out the test on the deceased. That is why we can’t specifically say the real cause.”

The chairman also said he had banned the sale and consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks in the area as a precautionary measure.

According to him, a preliminary verbal autopsy conducted by the local government health team indicated a possible link between the reported deaths and the consumption of the substances.

In the same vein, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, also confirmed the incident in a telephone interview, saying investigations were underway to establish the actual cause of the deaths.

Ajaka did not immediately disclose the specific substance suspected to have caused the deaths but said medical and health officials would conduct further assessments in the affected communities.

“The government is taking the matter seriously, and we will provide more details after the ongoing investigation has established the circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Meanwhile, some youths in the town staged a mini protest to the palace of the Odigbo traditional ruler to demand explanations and urgent measures to prevent further loss of life.

Addressing the youths, the monarch of the town, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade, appealed for calm and assured them that efforts would be made to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the deaths and find a lasting solution to the situation.