Two suspected child traffickers have been arrested after residents and security operatives foiled an attempt to abduct three children in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The suspects were identified by the police as Emmanuel Johnny, 39, and Ifiok Umoh, 28.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening along the Ekparakwa–Ekpene Ukpa Road in Ikot Ekpaw. According to the father of two of the children, Itoro Ekpoudo, his seven-year-old and three-year-old sons were returning home from an evening lesson when men in a minibus approached them.
“My son told me the men came out of the vehicle and said, ‘Your daddy asked us to come and take you home.’”
However, the seven-year-old became suspicious and questioned the strangers.
“He asked them, ‘If you know my daddy, is he short or tall?’ and one of them replied that his daddy was tall,” Mr Ekpoudo said.
Realising something was wrong, the boy attempted to flee with his younger brother, but one of the suspects reportedly grabbed the three-year-old and forced him into the vehicle. The older child immediately raised an alarm, attracting nearby residents.
“At that point, the kidnappers drove off with my younger son. But because people had already been alerted, they later stopped and pushed him out of the vehicle before speeding away,” the father added.
Residents and commercial motorcyclists pursued the vehicle to a police checkpoint in Ekparakwa, where two suspects were arrested. Angry youths later set the suspects’ vehicle ablaze.
In a statement on Thursday, Akwa Ibom Police spokesperson Timfon John confirmed that officers rescued three children unharmed after intercepting a minibus during a search operation.
“During the intensive search, operatives intercepted a minibus with registration number 830 PH. A thorough search of the vehicle led to the discovery of the three missing children inside the bus,” she said.
They remain in police custody while investigations continue.
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