By Vincent Ujumadu

Awka—For allegedly selling a 10-year-old boy, Ifeanyi Odili, for N300,000, 60-year-old Pastor Raymond Igboanusi and three others, Angela Igboanusi, 42; Obinigwe Josephine, 56, and Jacob Onwuegwu, 62, are currently cooling their heels with the Anambra State Police Command.

They were among the over 100 suspects paraded by the Command for offences such as robbery, cultism and child trafficking.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Garba Umar, who paraded the suspects, said they were arrested in various locations in Nnewi, Awada in Onitsha, Agulu in Anaocha Local Government Area and Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area.

Some of the suspects paraded yesterday.

Recovered

Some of the items recovered from them included charms, AK-47 rifles, locally-made pistols, machetes, axes, live cartridges, pump action guns, six rounds of 9mm live ammunition, among others.

Umar said the case of child trafficking syndicate was based on intelligence report, which led to the arrest of the 60-year-old Pastor Raymond Igboanusi from Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area.

According to Umar, the suspects allegedly conspired and trafficked Ifeanyi Odili, 10, at the cost of N300,000.

2-month-old baby sold

He said at Nnewi, one Oluchi Emeobi, 24, of Nnewi-Ichi, conspired with her friend Nchedochi Richard, 26, and sold her two-month old baby to a woman popularly known as First Lady.

He added that the woman, who bought the baby, was at large, adding that the Police had spread its tentacles to ensure her arrest.

Umar said: “In order to conceal her dastardly act, the suspect reported at the Police Station under false pretence that she left her baby under the custody of a yet-to-be ascertained woman, who absconded with the baby to an unknown destination.

“Exhibits recovered from the principal suspect include N250,000, and one motorcycle, which the suspect allegedly bought with part of the money realised from the sale of her baby.