Three in police net over child trafficking

The Warri Area Command of the Delta state police command has arrested three suspected child traffickers in connection with an alleged sale of a two-year old ‘stolen boy’.

One Juliet Philips, who operates an unregistered orphanage home in Ekpan community of Uvwie council area of Delta state, abducted a child identified as Testimony and allegedly sold him to a pastor in Edo state, with the assistance two others, including her mother, for a sum of N900,000.

According to a police source, the trio; Juliet Philips, her unnamed mother and a retired Director in the Community Development Department of the Ministry of Women Affairs in Delta State, Collins Ogbor, were arrested at Idogbo in Ikpoba-Okah council area of Edo state by men of the Warri ‘A’ Division.

The source said Philips reportedly abducted the two-year old, who is a twin, from his mother, a somewhat mentally challenged woman, on November 28, 2018

According to him, the mother of the two-year old, who is known for begging alms at Effurun Market daily, went for her usual business that fateful day when Juliet Phillips approached her, pretending to be willing to assist her and the children.

“Juliet offered to assist the vulnerable woman with a job at Igbudu market and she accepted. Both of them boarded a commercial tricycle popularly referred to as Keke to Igbudu market. She asked the mother of the boy to pay for her own transportation because she (Juliet) could only afford to pay for only herself.

“Already Juliet Phillips, under pretence to help, had backed one of the twins, as the two of them were sleeping. Immediately they arrived Igbudu Market Juliet hurriedly paid for herself before they got down from the Keke and before the woman finished paying and collecting her change from the commercial tricycle operator, she (Juliet) had disappeared with the child she carried”, the source narrated.

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The source further said that the mother of the boy, realising that the supposed helper had made away with her child, raised the alarm in the market, calling the attention of the people around, asking to be helped to recover her ‘stolen child’s.

After making away with Baby Testimony, Juliet, whose unregistered orphanage is known as Godswill Orphanage, took the boy to his mother, who runs another orphanage, registered with the state government as Deliverance Orphanage Home in Ozoro, Isoko North council area of Delta state.

It was from here that the retired Director from the Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr Ogbor, linked the two ladies to a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Edo state, who reportedly made payment of the sum of N900,000 for a supposed adoption of the abducted boy.

When reached for a confirmation of the case, spokesman of the Delta state police command, Mr Andrew Aniamaka (DSP), said the matter is already being investigated, adding that it would be charged to court as soon as investigations are done with.

“Yes there’s indeed a case like that, which is under the custody of the Warri Area Command. Investigation is still ongoing and those found to be culpable at the end of the investigation will be arraigned in court as soon as possible”, Aniamaka said.