By Wisdom Nwedene, Umuahia
The Nigeria Police, on Thursday, confirmed that they have rescued 19 children and arrested four suspected traffickers in Abia State.
Igbere TV had reported that the children were kidnapped by unknown men who were arrested by the Police.
The Commissioner of Police in the State, E. Ene Okon who confirmed this to newsmen said the operation was carried out by operatives of State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
He said the operatives who were on stop and search duty along the expressway rescued the children as they were being conveyed in a Toyota Sienna at the Isiala Ngwa end of the busy road. CP Okon said he directed that the four suspects be handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for investigation.
He warned child traffickers to desist from the nefarious business or face the full wrath of the law.
A police source said, “The suspects said that they have a school where they teach those children Judaism in Asa area of the state. They were not specific about the school or the place where the school is located.
“The suspects said that they were taking the children to a place in Omoba in Isiala Ngwa South where they would be quarantined.
“Are they officials of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to quarantine the children? Why didn’t they invite the parents of the children to come and pick them since last week that the state government announced the closure of schools in the state?
“It is for the State CID to unravel where the suspects brought the children from, where they were going with the children and why they didn’t invite their parents to come and pick them up from their school in the face of this coronavirus pandemic?
“There is no reason why they should be keeping such a number of children with them when the state government has issued a stay-at-home directive?
“Why should the suspects be taking the children to a special place outside their home and out of the reach of their parents?
“I am sure that officers at the specialised section of the SCID will still talk to them individually in order to ascertain the claims of the suspects.”
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