Police Arrest Grandmother, Three Others Over Alleged Child Trafficking In Cross River

A 62 year old grandmother, Esther Okon Okon, a nursing mother, Janet Usen and three others have been arrested by the police in Cross River State over alleged child trafficking.

They are currently being detained at the Airport Police Division, Atimbo in Calabar Municipal Local government area of Cross River State for allegedly abducting a four-year-old boy simply identified as Gideon, along Atamunu Street, off Yellow Duke in Calabar South Local government Area of Cross River state.

The incident which occurred on Tuesday was one out of the many cases of child abduction that was reported in the area lately.

The Community head, Chief Friday Udo said he got information from a concerned inhabitant who told him that there was a family that deals on children and that they currently had a victim in custody that they wanted to sell.

Udo said: “I personally went to their house and met with Mrs. Esther Okon, the mother of one of the suspects, Asuqwo Okon and asked her how many children she had in the house? She said, she they were five, I asked her to tell all of them to come out and they did, then I ordered the youth leader and other boys to search the house but they didn’t find any one else.

“But when I took a cursory look at the four children, I discovered that one of them looked different and pale too, then I asked her who the boy was, she said, it was I distant relation that came for holiday but probing her further, she said his son (Asuquo) brought the boy on the 31st to stay with them.

“She also told me that her son (Asuquo) has been looking for the parents of the boy whose name was given as Gideon since then but could not find them so they decided to keep the boy in the house.

“When I inquired why she didn’t report the matter to the police, she started stuttering, I had to invite the police to arrest them and handle the case because we have received several reports about missing children”, he said.

“I believe they have met their waterloo and fate has caught up with them, they should face the dance and let justice be done, I pray the parents of Gideon will go to the police station and claim their son.

“When I called Asuquo behind the house for questioning, he confessed to me that he needed money to buy tools for his work and his friend asked him to bring a ‘’cargo” which was why he abducted Gideon to sell but he refused to disclose the location where he wanted to sell the boy to”, he added.

When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Irene Ugbo who confirmed the incident said that four suspects have been arrested and that investigation was ongoing to know the depth of the matter.

“I have asked the people in charge to brief me on the matter so that we can give you more information but for now four suspects have been arrested and investigation is ongoing to ascertain the depth of the matter”, she said.