Two women were arrested by security officials attached to the Quick Intervention Squad on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 in Calabar, Cross River State for child trafficking.
The suspects, a 30-year-old trader from Etinan local government area of Akwa Ibom state and a 33-year-old health record officer at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital from Akpabuyo LGA, were arrested along Eta-Agbor Road in Calabar where they were transacting the sale a two-year old boy for N600, 000.
Confirming the arrest, the QIS commander, Capt. Mohammed Tanko said the women admitted to the crime after trying to bribe the QIS officials which is made up various security agencies with N500, 000.
Punch reports:
The trader said her husband worked with a church in Abuja, while the health record officer disclosed that her husband was an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Abuja. Both of them said they were married with children.
The suspect from Akpabuyo, who served as a middleman between the seller and the buyer, said she was an employee of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.
She said, “I got the child from Akpabuyo. My gain from the transaction was N20, 000.”
According to her, the buyer said she needed a child to adopt, but didn’t want to go through the proper process because she feared that one day the child would be collected by the government.
The suspect from Etinan, who was the buyer, said she had already paid the said sum.
The state Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey, said, “Investigation is ongoing to bring their accomplices to book. The suspects will be handed over to the police.”
Bassey said the state would continue to uphold a zero tolerance policy to all forms of crime.
He also said due to the present security situation in the country, there would be more visible security presence across the state with emphasis on the capital, Calabar.
He urged the public not to worry about the presence of the security officials, adding that the residents must continue to help the government in the fight against crime.
He lauded the sources that gave information that led to the arrest of the women and urged members of the public to do same.
