15th October, 2021
By Isaiah Eka
The Akwa Ibom Police Command said it had rescued two babies stolen from their parents at gunpoint in the state.
One of the infants is aged one month and three weeks while the other is six months old.
SP Odiko Macdon, the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), disclosed this during a news briefing on Friday.
Macdon said that at the time of rescue of the six-month-old the abductors had concluded a plan to sell the baby at the rate of N400,000.
“Based on a tip-off, the operatives of anti-child theft ambushed and arrested four robbery/child-stealing syndicates and rescued a six-month-old baby.
“They are Emmanuel Effiong, Ibanga Sunday, Editi Effiong and Idorenyin Iron of Ikot Okubo, Ibesikpo Asutan.
“Investigation revealed that the syndicate used motorbike on Oct. 8, at about 9:00 pm, masked their faces and invaded the house of Mr/Mrs Effiong Udo of Ikot Okubo Ibesikpo Asutan LGA at gunpoint.
“(They) beat the couple, inflicted them with various degrees of injuries and abducted their six months old baby girl.
“Both Ibanga Sunday and Emmanuel Effiong are ex-convicts for robbery/Cultism. At the time of the rescue, the arrangement had been concluded to sell the child for N400, 000.00,” Macdon said.
On the one month, six weeks old baby, Macdon said a 40-year-old suspect, Margaret Akpan, of Ekpene Ukim in Uruan LGA, went to the house of the mother’s victim, Mrs Blessing Ekwere.
He said that the suspect pretended to be sick and thereafter sent the said Blessing, the mother of the baby, to buy drugs for her.
Meanwhile, the suspect ran away with her baby boy before the mother returned from where she went to buy the drugs for her.
The PPRO said that the two infants were rescued and reunited with their parents and assured the public that the suspects would soon appear in court after investigation.
NAN