The Police in Delta have rescued a seven-year-old boy, Moses Iloba, who was abducted on Aug. 5, 2016 in Okpanam, near Asaba, and allegedly sold into `slavery’ in Port-Harcourt, Rivers.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Zanna, told newsmen on Thursday in Asaba while presenting a total of 25 suspects arrested for various offences, that the boy was rescued after six months in `slavery’.

“Sometime in August 2016, seven year-old Master Moses Iloba was kidnapped in Okpanam community; his parents reported the incident to the police that the child was missing.

“However, on Jan. 26, one Abigail Nwakama, aka ‘Madam Cash’ and Ifeoma Anyafike were arrested in connection with the crime.

“Their arrest led to the rescue of the victim with the aid of the second suspect,” he said.

The police boss said investigation into the crime led to the arrest of other members of the syndicate.

He said the police also rescued another victim, four-year-old Chimobi Sunday, who was kidnapped in 9th Mile, near Enugu State, from the suspects.

He also said that `Madam Cash’ was arrested before by the police and arraigned in court, “but mysteriously walked away from prosecution”.

“You are aware of the notorious Madam Cash. She is back again in the dock. In fact, we are at a loss as to how this woman got off the hook after we sent her to the court,” Zanna said.

In an interview with newsmen, the grandmother of the victim, Madam Josephine Okoeze, said Moses was kidnapped and taken to Port-Harcourt, where he was sold into `slavery’ and his named changed.

“It was sometime in August, 2016 that Moses was kidnapped. We reported to the police that our son was missing and have been living in agony over the incident for the past six months.

“Recently, we received information that our son had been found; it was a big relief for all of us in the family.

“We were told that he was rescued from a home in Port-Harcourt and that his name was changed to Uchenna Chimobi by those who bought him from the kidnappers,” Okoeze said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a couple, Mr and Mrs. Edwin Ojei, arrested for selling a 2-week-old baby girl for N600,000, was also among those presented to newsmen.

The police boss said sometime in November 2016, one of the suspects, Mrs Ngozi Ojei, asked a woman called Loveth to help her to find a house help. Loveth subsequently introduced one Miss Ewere Samuel.

“In January, Ojei went to Ekwuoma, a community near Agbor, to see Samuel’s mother, after which she took Ewere to Aba town in Abia.

“Ewere, who was then pregnant, delivered a baby girl and the suspect (Ngozi Ojei) sold the child for N600,000. She confessed to the crime during interrogation,” Zanna said.

He said investigations into all the cases were ongoing and assured that the police would charge the suspects to court upon completion of the investigations. (NAN)