It was a day of reckoning yesterday for a prophet, Kenneth Alozie, who was paraded by the police in Lagos state alongside his accomplice, Uche Emeroha, for allegedly abducting two sisters.
The victims, who were returning from a summer class on Olorunfemi Street in the Igando area of the state at about 2pm on Tuesday, were said to be kidnapped by the 35-year-old Emeroha.
The two sisters: Jumia, 6, and Ayomide, 4, whose mother is a widow, were rescued by police operatives from the Igando division around 7pm on Wednesday.
Upon their arrest, the two suspected abductors were arrested.
Emeroha, a barber, said Prophet Alozie allegedly promised to pay him N6, 000 if he could abduct and bring two children to his church, Hope in God Healing Ministry in the Agboroko area, Iyana Iba.
After allegedly abducting the girls on their way back home, he handed them over to a woman identified as Mama Chioma, who then took them to Alozie’s church.
While being paraded before newsmen at the state Police Command headquarters, Ikeja, Emeroha said when he went to Alozie’s church for counselling, the prophet promised to fortify him with a charm so that he (Emeroha) could be bringing stolen children to the church.
Emeroha said, “I am not married. I did not know the girls before that day. I worked as a barber on that street.
“One woman, Mama Chioma, was the one who introduced me to the prophet. She collected my phone number from my girlfriend. She took me to the prophet for counselling. I think she and the prophet worked together.
“When I met the prophet on Tuesday, he asked me to abduct some children. He promised to do some charms for me so that I would not be caught and he promised to pay me N6,000. That was the first time I would run such errand.
“When I came back to the area, I saw the girls returning home. I accosted them and lied that their mother asked me to buy some soft drinks for them. They did not struggle with me. I carried the younger one and held the hand of her sister.
“Mama Chioma was already waiting at Akesan bus stop to receive them. I recently moved to the area to work as a barber. I was living in Abuja,” Emeroha stated.
On his part, the prophet denied sending Emeroha on the errand.
According to him, he only prayed for the barber during the counselling.
Alozie said, “I did not know him before that Tuesday. Mama Chioma is my member. She usually brings people, who have one problem or the other to me, so that I could pray for them. I am not a herbalist.
“I was at home on Tuesday when the woman brought this man. I counselled and prayed for him. I only wanted to solve his problems. Later on Tuesday when Mama Chioma brought the girls, she said they were Emeroha’s children and his wife had abandoned him because of his challenges,” the prophet added.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspects, said the police were on the trail of Mama Chioma, who was believed to have other victims in her custody and is still on the run.
He said Emeroha was the first suspect to be arrested and he, thereafter, led operatives to the hideout, where Alozie had hidden the girls.
“Alozie, who claimed to be a prophet, was also arrested.
“The woman is also known as chairlady. She is being hunted now. We are going to find out if she does not have other victims.
“But we have the two suspects, the barber and the prophet with us.
“The police want parents to take more proper care of their children to avoid them falling preys to abductors. Investigation is ongoing,” the CP noted.
Meanwhile, one of the victims, Jumia, while narrating her ordeal, said Mama Chioma took her and her sister to an unfamiliar house, gave them food and plaited their hair.
The 6-year-old said, “The man, who took us away, said mummy asked him to buy some drinks for us. He later gave us to one woman. The woman took us on a bus to a place. She put us in one house and gave us food. She gave us rice and soup.
“She later carried us to one woman’s place. She also plaited our hair. Later, the police came and carried us to the station. The police now took us back to mummy.”
The mother of the rescued girls, who identified herself as Iya Ayo, said it was a boy in the area who caught a glimpse of Emeroha escaping with the girls.
Iya Ayo said, “My children were found around 6pm in the Agboroko community, towards Okoko.
“I thanked the God of Christ Apostolic Church. When I initially discovered that my children were abducted while returning home, I searched the whole area trying to trace them.
“I usually grill corn in the area since the death of my husband three years ago. It was a boy in our area who caught a glimpse of the barber escaping with the girls,” she added, commending the police for their efforts.”
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