The Benue State Police Command in collaboration with the Abia State Police Command have arrested eight persons suspected to be involved in the kidnapping of children for ransom.
Briefing journalists about the crime while parading nine suspects and the rescued children before Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Yakadi, said the suspects kidnapped five children in Makurdi, took them to Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, where they sold one of them for N700,000.
They were however traced with seven of the kidnappers arrested including the buyer of the child who paid N700,000 for one of the kidnapped boys.
The unidentified brain behind the kidnap reportedly claimed that the children were brought to her to provide them with care, but investigations by the police, according to reports, revealed she sold one of the kidnapped boys for N700,000 to another woman who also trade in children.
Reports have revealed that child trafficking and kidnapping are fast spreading to the state as child hawkers and kidnappers are allegedly migrating from the southeastern states up north.
It would be recalled that in October, about six children were reportedly declared missing by the police after their parents filed complaints. In the light of this, the police swung into action leading to the arrest of seven of the kidnappers in Abia State.
According to Yakadi, two of the victims had been re-united with their families.
Governor Ortom, while handing over the two of the rescued kidnap victims to their parents, said there was no hiding place for kidnappers and criminals in the state.
He went on to urge them to repent of their sins.
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