Police parade 80-year-old, another for attempted murder of three children

The Anambra State Police Command has paraded an 80-year-old woman, Chidi Felicia Nwafor, and Rejoice Raymond, 39, for attempted murder of three children.

The suspects were paraded by the Command on Thursday.

It will be recalled that on February 19, 2021, following an intelligence report, police operatives attached to 3-3 Police Station, Nkwelle Ezunaka in conjunction with the local vigilante group raided a house at the Federal Housing Estate, 3-3 Area, Onitsha and arrested one Raymond and Nwafor, both natives of Umunya in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The suspects allegedly confined three children – two boys and a girl – inside different rooms at 13, Akunwanta Mbamalu Street, Federal Housing Estate, Onitsha, and subjected them to physical and emotional torture without food.

They also inflicted several wounds on their bodies, leaving them unconscious and at the point of death.

The victims, who were badly battered with lacerations all over their body – one with a broken arm – were found in the pool of their blood, rescued and rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

Exhibits recovered at the scene included some fetish substances, blood stained canes, concoctions and other incriminating items.

The spokesman of the Anambra State Police Command, Haruna Mohammed, said preliminary investigations revealed that the three children were allegedly sold to the suspects by a notorious female child trafficking kingpin, Sabina Izoura, who has been on police wanted list for child trafficking, child stealing and forgery.

Mohammed said further investigations revealed that Izuora was involved in unlawful adoptions, using forged police reports, forged authorisation letters from the Ministry of Women Affairs and sworn court affidavits to sell children stolen from all parts of the country to her waiting customers, both within and outside Nigeria, including a recent attempt to smuggle out two children (a boy and a girl) allegedly stolen from Niger State since 2018.

Meanwhile, all the children recovered by the police are presently under the protective care of the Anambra State Ministry for Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs, pending when their biological parents will surface.

Mohammed said investigations are still ongoing and efforts are being intensified to apprehend other accomplices in order to bring them to justice.

He said the Command’s Commissioner, Monday Bala Kuryas, has enjoined Ndi Anambra and the general public to apprehend or report at the nearest police station or call police emergency number 07039194332 whenever they see Izuorah, formerly of Social welfare Department, Awka South LGA, but recently transferred to Social Welfare Department, Ihiala LGA, but presently at large and evading police arrest in connection with the offence of child stealing/trafficking, forgery and perjury. (Eagleonline)