*Police exhume victim’s remains

By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT— Police in Rivers State have arrested a three-man kidnap gang that killed their victim and still collected N500,000 from the family after promising to release him.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, who disclosed this at the police headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said the gang abducted their victim, identified as Friday Ozogo, about three weeks ago, killed him and buried his remains in a shallow grave around Choba Waterfront.

CP Rivers State, Chris Ezike

He said after killing their victim, the kidnappers continued to pester the family for ransom, adding that the family had to invite the police to step into the matter after they had paid N500,000 as ransom and the hostage was still not released.
The commissioner said the kidnappers led the police to where they buried the hostage, adding that the corpse had been exhumed for autopsy.

Rescue toddler from traffickers

He said his men also recovered a seven-month-old baby girl who was stolen at Diobu area of Port Harcourt and sold for N200,000 to a family in Owerri, Imo State.

He further advised parents to have their eyes on their children always, even as he lashed out at those behind child trafficking in the state.

He said: “It is quite shameful that these youths are involved in the stealing of babies and selling them for peanuts. Parents should be more careful with their children’s custody and safety.”

The police chief ordered special operations in some parts of the state to wipe out cultism in areas including Eleme, Ubima, and Emohua local government areas and appealed for cooperation from residents to rid the state of crime.