Metro

Mother Of Three Bags 10 Years Jail Term For Child Trafficking

Published

4 years ago

August 25, 2021

Editor

An Akwa Ibom State High Court has sentenced a 47-year-old woman, Gertrude Thompson Akpan to 10 years in prison for child trafficking without an option of fine.

The convict was said to have bought a 6-year-old boy in Uyo and transferred him to Owerri in Imo State where she sold the victim to one Kate Ojukwu Ogbonna, a native of Bende in Abia State at the sum of N200,000.

Mrs Akpan, a mother of three children from Ikot Eyo in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State claimed to be a staff of Immanuel Hospital, Eket, where she said she retired as a Matron in 2015.

She also confessed that she has been in the business of selling and buying children since 2008.

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Delivering his judgement, Justice Okon Okon said “apart from the confession of the convict, the evidence of the Prosecution Witness that she assisted the Police in the recovery of the child victim from the buyer in Owerri, remained unchallenged and therefore accepted.”

The Court further held that the evidence of the prosecution is that one Ubong Charles Ekwere had on 12th May 2018, abducted the six-year-old boy in the lawful custody of his grandmother and sold him to the convict, Gertrude Thompson Akpan at the sum of N50,000 and Gertrude in turn, sold the victim to Kate Ojukwu Ogbonna in Owerri at the sum of N200,000.

Justice Okon found Gertrude Thompson Akpan guilty of unlawful removal and transfer of the child victim from Akwa Ibom State to Owerri, Imo State.

He said, “It is sadistic that Gertrude, a mother of children, indulged in selling the children of others, thereby depriving the innocent children of the natural love, care and upbringing by their parents.

“Such evil trade must be deprecated, forestalled and checkmated by every right-thinking member of the society. Buying and selling of children is against social and moral values of the people of Akwa Ibom State.”

(DAILY POST)

Metro

Police Detain 3 Nsukka Masqueraders For Allegedly Assaulting Residents

Published

9 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

The police command in Enugu State has detained three masqueraders in the Nsukka area of the state for allegedly assaulting law-abiding citizens.

The command’s spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement in Enugu on Tuesday that police operatives, with the assistance of members of the community, led to the arrest of the suspects on June 23 at 3:30 p.m.

He said that the arrest of the suspects was in connection with the alleged physical assault of citizens by the ‘Oriokpa’ Masquerade group on June 22 as seen in a viral video.

“The suspects, along with others still at large, took advantage of the ‘Oriokpa’ Masquerade celebration to assault several innocent members of the public, inflicting bodily injuries on them.

“One of the victims was hospitalised for treatment due to injuries sustained during the attack.

“The masqueraders initially resisted police arrest and fled the scene.

“However, with the assistance of law-abiding community members, the three suspects were later identified and apprehended,” he said.

The spokesman said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, had ordered a thorough investigation into the case to ensure that justice was served.

Ndukwe quoted the commissioner as saying that masquerade celebration was a sacred and symbolic aspect of the nation’s culture.

He said that the state police chief, however, decried the actions of those who exploited the occasion to commit criminal acts.

Ndukwe said that the commissioner warned against the use of cultural festivities as a cover for fomenting trouble and committing crimes against fellow citizens, as perpetrated by the ‘Oriokpa’ masqueraders.

“The command is assuring the public that all those involved in the assault of law-abiding citizens will be brought to justice,” he added.

(NAN)

Metro

Edo Police Arrest Four Suspected Cultists

Published

12 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

Edo Police Command said it has arrested four suspected cultists allegedly responsible for cult violence in Auchi and its environs of the state.

In a statement, the command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Yamu said, the suspects, who were arrested during a joint operation, belong to different cultist groups.

The statement reads partly, “On 22/06/2025, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Cultism Unit in a joint operation with Jattu and Auchi Divisions embarked on a house-to-house arrest of cultists.

“These four (4) suspects were arrested in various locations in Auchi; Musa Murphy 25yrs of No 35 Ogeneni area Jattu, Auchi a member of Arobaga Confraternity, Gabriel Moses 25yrs of ECocota-Community, Auchi a member of Aye Confraternity, Michael Ayo 23yrs of No1 Emeke Uzuire, Auchi member of Eiye Confraternity and Philip Sunday 24yrs of Ebira camp, Auchi a member of Vikings Confraternity.”

Yamu expressed the state Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika’s assurance to the “general public of the Command’s resolve to rid the State of cultism while the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.”

Metro

Chaos In Court As Ex-convict Attempts To Escape

Published

16 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

A dramatic scene unfolded on Tuesday in an Ilorin Area Court as an ex-convict, Segun Samuel, attempted to escape from the court premises, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The Prosecution Counsel, ASP Samuel Mayowa, who witnessed the incident, told NAN that the ex-convict cunningly removed the chains from his leg with a broomstick, walked towards the restroom and scaled the court fence.

“He has four different criminal cases in this court. One of the cases was heard on Monday, and he was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment.

“In the second criminal case, he was sentenced to six months of community service, and the third case was supposed to be heard today, before he pulled that stunt,” he said.

Luckily, he said, the police officers in the court premises and the prison warder swung into action and pursued him.

He said that after a thorough search, and with the help of the community, the ex-convict was found in a dilapidated building at Oke-Suna Area, Ilorin.

The Correctional Service officer, he said, was called, and the ex-convict was captured and returned to custody