Police Neutralise Suspect, Arrest Women Over Three-Day-Old Baby

Operatives of Delta State Police Command have neutralised one suspected kidnapper and armed robber, and arrested two women for stealing a three-day-old baby in Delta State.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe in a statement, said that the deceased suspect was a member of a kidnap syndicate terrorizing Udu Local Government Area, Warri and environs.

The statement, made available to Stonix News on Thursday, has it that in a bid to apprehend the suspect and his gang, there was a gun duel, leading to the death of the suspect identified as Benson Oghenevwaire.

During the operation, one English-made Beretta pistol and two rounds of live ammunition were recovered while a serious manhunt for the other fleeing members of the gang is ongoing, according to the statement.

SP Edafe said that the two ladies identified as Tessi Ikechukwu, and Lauretta Akomen were arrested after a commercial tricyclist reported them to Ekpan Police Station on Tuesday, October 1.

He said one of the two women, who alighted from the tricycle popularly called Keke, handed over a newborn baby boy to the women with a caveat that the balance had been paid!

The commercial tricyclist quickly took a detour to the nearby Ekpan  Police Station where investigation revealed that one of the suspects Lauretta Akomen ‘f’ aged 38yrs, bought the baby for two million naira.

SP Edafe further disclosed that the baby was bought from a traditional home in Port Harcourt where they harbour teenage girls, and got men to have sex with them till they are pregnant after which they sell the babies to those in need of children.

The statement read thus: “On 27/9/2024, at about 1700 hours, acting on intelligence gathered on one of the dreaded Kidnappers terrorizing UDU LGA, Warri, and environs, who was part of the syndicate responsible for a series of robbing and kidnapping operation within UDU axis some of which includes the robbery operation at wetland microfinance bank in UDU LGA on 26th February 2021 as well as the assassination of prince Eric Takerere ‘m’ the son of Urhowhrun Monarch alongside the two police escort on the 3rd of April 2021 at Effurun Sapele road.

“The DPO Owvain Aldaja Division CSP Bulus Musa led the surveillance team of the division and embarked on a sting operation at the hideout of the suspect Benson Oghenevwaire ‘m’ aged 34yrs located at Orereokpe in Okpe LGA, where the suspect and his gang members engaged the Police in a fierce gun duel.

“During the gun duel, the police overpowered the suspects, some of them escaped with various degrees of gunshot injuries while the said Benson Oghenevwaire was arrested with severe gunshot injuries.

“He was taken to Warri central hospital where he died while receiving treatment. During the operation, one English-made Beretta pistol and two rounds of live ammunition were recovered. A serious manhunt for the other fleeing members of the gang is ongoing.

“On 1/10/2024, at about 1830hours, a tricycle rider (name withheld) came to Ekpan police station and reported that while he was on his daily commercial operation, four women boarded his tricycle, on reaching Effurun roundabout, two of them alighted from the tricycle.

“One of the two women who alighted handed over a newborn baby boy to the women left in his tricycle and he heard one of them saying, the balance has been paid while saying that when they get to their destination, they should inform her.

“The tricycle rider smartly diverted the two women; Tessi Ikechukwu, and Lauretta Akomen, and the newborn baby to Ekpan Police Station.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the suspects Lauretta Akomen ‘f’ aged 38yrs bought the baby for the sum of Two Million Naira (#2,000,000) from a traditional home located in Port Harcourt where they harbour teenage girls, and got men to have sex with them till they are pregnant after which they sell the babies to people looking for children.

“The suspect also revealed that she was given a drug which she took for some time to make her look pregnant.

“She later led the DPO CSP Aliyu Shaba and operatives to the house of one Gloria (surname unknown) who acted as an agent between her and the traditional home. Suspects are in custody while a manhunt for the other accomplices is ongoing.

“The Commissioner of Police CP Olufemi Abaniwonda thanked the tricycle rider for being a patriotic citizen and urged others to emulate him. Members of the public can reach the command either by reporting at the nearest Police station or by calling any of the following numbers.”