THE Akwa Ibom State Police Command says it has rescued five children stolen from the same mother.
It was gathered that the children were stolen from their village in Ibiono Ibom by an unknown man and taken away on a motorcycle.
Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday in Uyo, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Joseph Eribo, said the children had been reunited with their mother.
“On 14/11/2024, at about 1510hrs, the Command received a distress call from one woman (name withheld), who reported that five of her children had been taken away by an unknown man on a motorcycle.
“The Command’s operatives immediately swung into action in the company of villagers from Mbiakpan Ikot Idim and Obio Ibiono. The suspect, one Promise Boniface ‘m’, was given a hot chase and arrested at Obio Ibiono.
“The five children were rescued unhurt and reunited with their parents. The motorcycle used by the suspect in committing the crime was recovered,” the CP stated.
The suspect, one Promise Boniface, however denied stealing the children, saying he discovered the children wandering on the road and took them to a safe place.
“I saw the children on the road crying, saying their parents were not at home, and I took them to my house. I even called my Landlord based in Lagos and informed him of the situation.
“The children stayed with me for two hours because it was raining before the youths came. Their mother was not around. I didn’t take the children anywhere,” he stated.
The CP explained that Boniface was one of the many suspects arrested for theft, kidnapping, robbery, gun running and cultism in the month of November.
He mentioned that operatives from the command also raided a gun-making factory where firearms of various kinds were fabricated and sold to criminals, adding that one David Nse Emmanuel, was arrested while his father and his brothers, who jointly run the business, fled.
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“The following items were recovered: Seven newly made single-barrel guns, five newly made double-barrel guns, one special steel double-trigger pistol, one broken single-barrel gun, one trigger-handle walking stick knife, several cut iron pipes used for constructing gun barrels,” he stated.
The CP stated that a serial car snatcher, one Kingsley Ernest Nelson, 38, who had been previously remanded for similar offences was among the suspects.
He revealed that one Toyota Sienna car with registration number DUU 692NZ, one Toyota Rav4 jeep with registration number ETN 676AA (colored white), master keys used to unlock vehicles forcefully and six fake car documents were among the items recovered from the suspect.
The CP assured residents of the state that the command would continue to intensify efforts against crime and protect lives and property.