18th April, 2024
By Jethro Ibileke
The Benin Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has confirmed the arrest of a 40-year-old woman, Ikejimba Maryvianney, over the alleged trafficking of 38 children in Delta state.
It was gathered that the children were handed over to the suspect by their parents at the agrarian community in Enugu-Awka camp, by Monastery, Ilah, Delta state.
The Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Barr. Nduka Nwanwene, who confirmed the arrest of the suspect to journalists in Benin, Edo State, described her as a fake Reverend Sister.
He disclosed that the suspect who was assisted by a fleeing accomplice simply identified as Chidera, received the children on the guise of giving them better care in their two orphanage homes.
She was however arrested by the NAPTIP operatives following a tip-off, when she returned to the community apparently to recruit other children.
Speaking further on the arrest, Barr. Nwanwene disclosed that the suspect claimed to be trained in Ghana as a Reverend Sister, while their headquarters is in Philippines.
He described the suspect and her accomplices as human traffickers, who are posing as Reverend Sisters from a convent in Owerri, but recruiting children for human trafficking.
He added that the suspect claimed that she came to meet the parents of the children and persuade them to allow their children follow them to their orphanage homes and that they would be given better care.
According to him, “On january 28, the suspect was given 12 children while on February 19, she was given 26 children, bringing the total number children in her custody to 38 and the children are all minors.
“To convince the parents when they were handed over the first batch of the children, the suspects asked two of the parents to follow them to know the two orphanage homes the children would stay.
“The suspect when arrested claimed that three of the six children are in Badagry while the other three are in Ogun, but later said they have been adopted by people in the East.”
Nwanwene disclosed that nAPTIP is on the trail of getting the victims as well as arresting the suspect at large and that the suspect would be charge to court.
He warned parents to be vigilant and never to trust anybody with their kids without asking fundermental questions.