A serving corps member of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) has been arrested and detained along with other criminal suspects at the state headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, near Uyo, the state capital, for d3filing a min0r (three – years- old), left in his care by parents for teaching engagement.
Commissioner of Police (CP), Akwa Ibom State Command, Mr Olatoye Durosinmi made this known while parading the suspects on Monday.
He advised parents to be wary of people they hire as lesson teacher or care-giver to their minor or teenage children, warning that such efforts at molding the young ones could be counter – productive to their well-being and future.
Durosimi who pleaded for his (the suspect’s) identity to remain anonymous as he would soon appear in court, warned criminal elements, to repent or be ready to face the full weight of the law.
“Parents should hire male teachers to teach their male children, while female teachers should teach their male children”, Durosinmi warned, even as he wondered what is in a three – year-old that should attract any adult, not to talk of a Corps member, who is sufficiently educated and mentally sound to allow his spirit to be so craved into such savage indulgence.
However, the suspect, who spoke to Journalists, admitted to the crime, but was quick to blame the devil for the act, even as he pleaded for forgiveness and freedom with a promise to repent.
Others paraded along with him, the CP said were rounded up in various locations across the 31 local government areas of the state for sundry crimes including oil thefts, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape and other violent crimes within the last quarter of 2023.
“During the last quarter of the year, a total of 562 suspects were arrested for various offences ranging from murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, stealing, while some of these suspects have been charged to court, others have either been granted bail or are still under investigation”, he said.
Also worrisome to the CP is the rampant incidences of rape, even in Church, pointing out the case of one Pastor Solomon Ufot Oton, in charge of Mount Zion Light House Church at Oruko village in Urueoffong Oruko LGA, who abducted a 16-year-old, Eunice Kingsley Okpo, of Asawana Street, Oron in Oron LGA.
“He kept her in his resident for three days at the above named village. The suspect threatened and hypnotized her not to disclose his deeds to her parents. She stated that the suspect had carnal knowledge of her during the period of the abduction and she became pregnant.
“Later on, the suspect took her to a quack patent medicine dealer for abortion, which caused her to become paralyzed, and was taken to University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), for further surgical operation,” the CP quoted the cleric as having confessed to the crime.
Also arrested in connection with rape and kidnapping, was one Daniel Francis Ukpong, of Ikot Akpaden village in Mkpat Enin LGA, for luring one Mary Gabriel Udo, from Essien Udim LGA, to Harmony Hotel in Eket LGA, where the CP said, “He forcefully seized her phone, had carnal knowledge of her and later used the phone to send text messages to the parents, demanding for a ransom of N5 million to secure her release.”
“The Parents paid the sum of N140,000, through her (Mary’s) account to the suspect, who was later arrested by operatives of Anti-Cultism Unit (ACU) of the Command, and has confessed to the crime. He will be charged to court at the end of investigation,” the CP said. He assured that with the delivery of the 14 gunboats by Governor Umo Eno, and other morale – boosting incentives, his men working with other security agencies were battle – ready to rid the state and its waterways of criminal elements.
