Police Smash 7-man Kidnap Gang In Cross River
Kusoro Jeremiah
Men of the Cross River State Police Command have smashed a seven-man kidnap gang that have been kidnapping children in the state for the past one year.
Five men and two women are now being held by the police.
This gang besides kidnapping for ransom, also specialised in child trafficking and sale of human parts in Calabar and its environs, police have learnt.
Assistant Commissioner of Police in-charge of Criminal Investigation at the State Police headquarters, Mr. Ganiyu Salami told journalists
that his men have rescued two of the kidnapped children.
Also two suspects who specialise in defiling teenage girls including a two-member kidnap syndicate operating in the state have been
arrested by the command.
Salami revealed that all the suspects have confessed to the crime and would be arraigned in court as soon as investigations were concluded.
He gave the names of some of the suspects as 30-year-old Victor Bassey and Bassey Essien, 38, who snatched Miss Emmaneulla Joseph, 9 from her mother at Army Junction Calabar on May 5, 2014.
Others are Samuel Oku (31) and Mrs Uduak Charles (28) who connived to steal one master Destiny Kingsley (3) in Calabar South
Local Government Area and attempted to sell him outside the state.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police [ACP] said the suspects were arrested following information from the public even as one female accomplice was on the run.
He said Emmanuella has since reunited with her parents just like 13-year old, Rosemary Ndep who was abducted by Mr Eyo Etim in Calabar and taken to Akpabuyo.
“The police on May 5, 2014 in Calabar arrested Mr Eyong Iwara (35) for having canal knowledge of a six year old girl.
“Also, one Mr Emmanuel Bassey (30) was arrested for defiling a 10 year old and another 11 year old girl.
The suspects have confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court on completion of investigations’’, he said.
Salami said two suspected kidnappers, Akama Iwat (22) and Anthony Akpan (18) were arrested at their hideouts at Iffiang Village in Bakassi Local Government Area.
“The police recovered four single barrel guns from them. During interrogation, they confessed to be members of the gang responsible for some cases of kidnapping in the state.
“They were identified by some of their victims and will be charged to court on completion of their investigations’’, he said.
He commended members of the public for helping the police in tracking down criminals in the state and urged them not to relent nor take laws into their hands.
One of the suspects paraded, Eyong Iwara blamed his fate on children in the neighbourhood who do come to his house to watch blue films.