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Police Rescue Infant Abducted By Neighbour In Rivers

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Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have rescued a six-month-old child, Lucky Sunday, who was kidnapped over a month ago by a co-tenant of the child’s parents at their residence on Anekelane Street in the Mile 2 axis of Diobu in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Recall that the suspect, simply identified as Mr Erica, abducted the infant on Sunday, 29 September 2024, and reportedly fled with the child to Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State.

The Rivers State Police Command has been on his trail ever since, spreading their dragnet to ensure his arrest and prosecution.

The manhunt for the fleeing suspect finally paid off when detectives attached to the Mile 1 Police Division trailed him to Uyo, leading to his arrest and transportation back to Port Harcourt.

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It was gathered that during interrogation, the prime suspect revealed to the police that he sold the baby for N3.6 million to an unidentified female buyer who took the child to Enugu State.

Following a discreet investigation, detectives attached to the Mile 1 Police Division rescued the child on Sunday, 3 November 2024, and arrested the buyer and four other accomplices, bringing the total number of suspects to six, all of whom are currently detained at the Mile 1 Police Station in Port Harcourt.

The father of the child, Anekan Sunday, confirmed the rescue of his baby and the arrest of the six suspects, stating, “Yes, I saw my baby yesterday (Sunday). But the police didn’t allow me to take him yet because they said they wanted to go to court.

“The suspect who took the baby and the others have been arrested. They are six in all, and they are at the Mile 1 Police Division.”

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When contacted, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the rescue of the child and the arrest of the suspects, stating that it is a child trafficking syndicate.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, also revealed that the prime suspect had previously sold his own biological child before abducting that of his neighbour.

She stated, “It is a case of a child trafficking syndicate that our men have busted.

“The man sold his own biological son and also abducted another child, whom he sold for N3.6 million to a lady.

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“But the lady claimed she went to an orphanage to register the child for adoption in Enugu State. The child was adopted here in Port Harcourt and sold to her.

“The child has been rescued. The suspect and five others have been arrested, and investigations are ongoing.”

Meanwhile, a rights advocate and National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability, Prince Wiro, has commended the police for their due diligence in rescuing the child and arresting the six suspects.

Wiro stated, “We sincerely commend the officers attached to the Mile 1 Police Division for the rescue of the child. It shows a high level of professionalism and due diligence.

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“We believe that the officers deserve an award from the police authority in the state. We equally urge the police to arraign any of the arrested suspects found culpable during the investigation in court for justice to be served as a deterrent to others who may want to take the same line of action.”

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Danger averted as police rescued six kids from collapsed building

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The Lagos State Police Command has rescued six children from a building within an estate in the Ejigbo area of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to newsmen on Saturday in Lagos.

He said that on Tuesday at about 12p.m., the police received information that six children were staying alone in a building.

‘The case was transferred from the Ejigbo Police Station to the Gender Unit in Ikeja after reports indicated that the children were left alone in a residential house.

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“The children, aged between seven and 13 years, have been rescued and are currently in a protective shelter through the Ministry of Youth and Social Development,’ he said.

Hundeyin said initial findings revealed that their mother was currently abroad for medical treatment and had left them in the care of a caregiver.

The spokesperson added that efforts were underway to contact their mother, and investigations were ongoing to gather more details about the case.

NAN

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Fire engulfs MTN office in Oyo

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An MTN booster station at the University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State was reportedly engulfed in flames on Saturday.

The fire, attributed to an electrical surge, erupted within the Faculty of Nursing.

According to reports, the incident took place in the early morning hours, around 4 a.m., and resulted in significant damage to the Mikano electrical generator, the control board, and other telecommunications devices at the booster station.

The state capital, Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform to Governor Seyi Makinde, and Chairman of the State Fire Services Agency, Moroof Akinwande confirmed the incident.

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He said, “The state Fire Service’s prompt response doused the fire at the MTN booster station beside the Faculty of Nursing, University of Ibadan.

“The fire personnel, led by ACFS Olubunmi, were promptly deployed to the scene and arrived on time.

“On arrival, we met the Mikano electrical generator and board on fire. We quickly joined hands with the university’s fire marshals, and the fire was extinguished completely. The fire was caused by an electrical surge”, he explained.

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Insecurity! Gunmen invade church, slash pastor’s 2 fingers

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Heavily armed gunmen reportedly stormed Elyon Paradise Ministry Church, shooting Pastor Divine Omodia and abducting six members of the congregation in Asagba Ogwashi, near Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic, Aniocha south local government area of Delta State.

The attack, which took place on February 21, 2025, at approximately 10:30pm., saw the assailants round up the church premises before shooting the pastor and severing two of his fingers, causing severe blood loss.

One of the Pastors, Pastor Steve Victor Onuchukwu, who spoke revealed that since the attack, the kidnappers have not contacted the church or the victims’ families to demand ransom.

“The matter has been reported to the police, but so far, no tangible results have been achieved,” Onuchukwu stated.

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“One security agency assured me they are working around the clock to secure the victims’ release, but we have no concrete updates yet.”

Concerns continue to mount over Pastor Omodia’s condition, as he remains in critical care at an undisclosed hospital.

According to Onuchukwu, medical personnel are making efforts to stabilize him.

“We rushed him to the hospital immediately, and he is currently in the operating theatre, where doctors are doing everything possible to save his life,” he said.

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Meanwhile, when contacted for a statement, Delta State Police Command spokesperson Bright Edafe claimed no official report of the incident had been made to law enforcement.

“I am not aware of any such report because nobody has informed us about it,” Edafe stated.

The attack has heightened concerns over security in the region, with residents and church members demanding swift action to locate the kidnapped victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.

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