HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Two suspects in Akwa Ibom arrested

Zonal commander of agency, Mr. Nduka Nwanwenne ina press release issued to journalists in Uyo on Wednesday, mentioned Okokon Essien Bassey and Ofonime Essien Bassey as alleged culprits, adding that they were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday.

He stated that the two suspects had approached one Emmanuel Monday and his wife who is pregnant and a mother of two children to buy the unborn baby for N500,000.

He said officials of the agency who were informed of the offer advised the couple to agree to the terms of the suspects.

Accordingly, the victims were said to have requested for N10,000 from the suspects as a form of commitment and a sign of seriousness.

It was gathered that on receipt of the money, the woman and her two children were handed over to the suspects.

The suspects were said to have taken the woman and her children to Port Harcourt on a motorcycle but were trailed by operatives of the agency who arrested the suspects.

However, one of the suspects was said to have escaped but the agency explained that a search is on to find him, adding that the arrested suspects have made useful statements and would be charged to court.

"The Uyo Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has apprehended two suspects for human trafficking in an early hour operation this morning, the two suspects, namely Okokon Essien Bassey, 'M', 33 years old and Ofonime Essien Bassey, 'F', 40 years old were apprehended.

"The suspects had on several occasion approached one Emmanuel Monday and his wife who is a mother of two kids and presently pregnant and requested for the purchase of the unborn baby for the sum of five hundred thousand naira (N500,000).

"On receiving the intelligence, NAPTIP operatives requested the victims to play along with the suspects.

"In the course of several meetings, the victims demanded the sum of N10,000 from the suspects to show their seriousness in what they were being asked to do. Upon the payment of the N10,000 to the victims the pregnant woman, along with their two kids were handed over to the suspects,ÔÇØ the statement reads.