From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
the operatives of Okeuvoro Police Area Command in Aboh Mbaise council area of Imo state in a joint operation have apprehended one Ugochukwu Michael, popularly known as Ata, from Umuahiaa village in Ohekelem autonomous community in Ngor Okpala council, a member of a child trafficking trafficking syndicate who has been on wanted list the police .
It was learnt that the suspect who has been terrorising the Ohakelem community with members his gang was apprehended on Monday April 22nd , 2024 at about 12:30pm , by the community vigilante group in a joint operation with operatives of the Okeuvoro police area command, acting on credible intelligence, suspect was tracked and arrested at the popular Onuoha Okpala community , close to Owerrinta in Abia state .
It would recalled that there was child trafficking incident at the same old road Umuahiaa two weeks ago where the suspect and members of his gang were allegedly involved.
The victims it was learnt were dragged into the near bush and gang-raped after collecting unspecified amount of money from them. After the incident, the suspects fled and have been hiding since then.
The matter was reported to Okeuvoro police Area Command in Mbaise where the police and the vigilante group mounted surveillance which led to their apprehension and arrest by the police.
A member of the vigilante group who spoke who on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the suspect and members of his gang have gone into hiding for more than one week following their involvement in a child trafficking incident at Umuahiaa Ohekelem.
” We got information that one of them, Ugochukwu Michael is hiding at Owerrinta. We stormed there , when he saw us, he jumped into the Onuoha River, we pursued him and caught him and handed him over to the police”
The suspect who confessed to the crime of child trafficking said : ” It’s not only me , Ugochukwu Azu( Jabezz) is also among. Let me explain what happened, Some guys from Okpala called me on phone to go and carry someone for them from Umuechem Umuhu junction to old road. I went and pick the people for them and dropped them at old road. When I dropped them I turned my bike and left. I was somewhere, one of us called and asked me if “guys” are carrying out operation at the old road, I told him yes, that, it’s like “guys” are carrying out operation at that place”.
When asked to explain the type of operation members of his gang carry out at the old road, he said, “we do “guy man” work. We do “wayo”, we sell coins and do come-and-buy. If someone say he is looking for where to do child adoption, we collect money from the person. If we call you to come and see the child , when you come we collect money from you. It’s not only me , we are many”
A resident of the community who spoke to our Correspondent : “We are happy that the police has arrested one of them. They have been terrorising our community. They carry all sorts of criminal activities especially at that old road Umuahiaa.
We have severally called on the police to mount surveillance in the area.
The suspect confessed that it’s not only him, so we are urging the police to ensure that others are arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law”.