By Nwabueze Okonkwo

ONITSHA—Vigilance operatives attached to Millennium Merchant Line, Sokoto Road Market, near Onitsha Main Market, Onitsha, Anambra State, yesterday, apprehended a middle-aged man over his alleged involvement in kidnapping a 12-year old girl in Enugu State.

The suspect, whose name was given as Ambrose Amaechi, according to sources, had allegedly abducted his victim whom he identified on arrest as Miss Charity Okoh in Enugu but on getting to Onitsha, he was apprehended inside the market at “Importers Line.”

The suspect, who claimed to be residing at Onitsha Military Cantonment, confessed that he was at the market to buy a new skirt for the victim as remaining in her school uniform would make people suspect foul play.

The source said the suspect drew attention of the vigilance operatives and the public when the victim started undressing at the centre of the market, exposing all parts of her body.

The source stated that not wanting to take any chances, the traders alerted the chairman of the market, Chief Valentine Ezechukwu and his Secretary, Mr. Ikenna Igboamaeze, who arrived the scene shortly after the suspect and the victim had been taken away by the market security operatives.

On reaching the security office, the victim who had now regained her consciousness, narrated that she was in her school uniform going to school in Enugu on Monday morning when the suspect called her and she answered, thinking that he had a message for her and hung a necklace round her neck and she immediately became unconscious.

She said that while she could no longer realize herself, they both boarded a vehicle to Onitsha, adding that she still remained unconscious until she started removing the necklace hung on her neck while attempting to change to a new skirt bought for her by the suspect on the scene which attracted the attention of the traders and his consequent arrest by the operatives.

The arrest, which drew the attention of the entire market and the adjoining Onitsha Main Market Traders disrupted business activities for about an hour before the Chairman, Ezechukwu; the Secretary, Igboamaeze and other members of the executive ordered the traders to return to their businesses.

Meanwhile, both the suspect, Amaechi and the victim, Charity have been handed over to the Department of Security Service, DSS, for further interrogations.