A 35-year-old barber, Uche Emeroha, and a
prophet, Kenneth Alozie, were paraded by the
police on Thursday for allegedly abducting two
sisters, who were returning from a summer class in
the Igando area of Lagos State.
Emeroha said Prophet Alozie allegedly promised to
pay him N6,000 if he could abduct and bring two
children to his church, Hope in God Healing
Ministry in the Agboroko area, Iyana Iba.
PUNCH Metro had reported on Thursday that two
sisters – Jumia, six, and four-year-old Ayomide –
were abducted on Olorunfemi Street in the Igando
area while returning from the summer class around
2pm on Tuesday.
It had been reported that the children, whose
mother is a widow, were rescued by police
operatives from the Igando division around 7pm on
Wednesday and two suspected abductors were
arrested.
Our correspondents learnt that Emeroha, after
allegedly abducting the girls on their way back
home, had handed them over to a woman identified
as Mama Chioma, who then took them to Alozie’s
church.
According to the police, Emeroha was the first
suspect to be arrested and he, thereafter, led
operatives to the hideout, where Alozie had hidden
the girls.
Alozie, who claimed to be a prophet, was also
arrested.
It was gathered that Mama Chioma was still on the
run.
Speaking to PUNCH Metro at the Lagos State Police
Command headquarters, Ikeja, on Thursday,
Emeroha said when he went to Alozie’s church for
counselling, the prophet promised to fortify him
with a charm, so that he (Emeroha) could be
bringing stolen children to the church.
He said, “I am not married. I did not know the girls
before that day. I worked as a barber on that street.
One woman, Mama Chioma, was the one who
introduced me to the prophet. She collected my
phone number from my girlfriend. She took me to
the prophet for counselling. I think she and the
prophet worked together.
“When I met the prophet on Tuesday, he asked me
to abduct some children. He promised to do some
charms for me so that I would not be caught and he
promised to pay me N6,000. That was the first time
I would run such errand.
“When I came back to the area, I saw the girls
returning home. I accosted them and lied that their
mother asked me to buy some soft drinks for them.
They did not struggle with me. I carried the
younger one and held the hand of her sister. Mama
Chioma was already waiting at Akesan bus stop to
receive them. I recently moved to the area to work
as a barber. I was living in Abuja.”
Alozie, however, denied sending Emeroha on the
errand, saying he only prayed for the barber during
the counselling.
He said, “I did not know him before that Tuesday.
Mama Chioma is my member. She usually brings
people, who have one problem or the other to me,
so that I could pray for them. I am not a herbalist.
“I was at home on Tuesday when the woman
brought this man. I counselled and prayed for him.
I only wanted to solve his problems. Later on
Tuesday when Mama Chioma brought the girls, she
said they were Emeroha’s children and his wife had
abandoned him because of his challenges.”
The older girl, Jumia, told PUNCH Metro that Mama
Chioma took her and her sister to an unfamiliar
house, gave them food and plaited their hair.
She said, “The man, who took us away, said
mummy asked him to buy some drinks for us. He
later gave us to one woman. The woman took us on
a bus to a place. She put us in one house and gave
us food. She gave us rice and soup.
“She later carried us to one man’s place. She also
plaited our hair. Later, the police came and carried
us to the station. The police now took us back to
mummy.”
The mother of the rescued girls, who identified
herself as Iya Ayo, said it was a boy in the area
who caught a glimpse of Emeroha escaping with
the girls.
She said, “My children were found around 6pm in
the Agboroko community, towards Okoko. I thanked
the God of Christ Apostolic Church. When I initially
discovered that my children were abducted while
returning home, I searched the whole area trying to
trace them.
“I usually grill corn in the area since the death of
my husband three years ago. It was a boy in our
area who caught a glimpse of the barber escaping
with the girls. I also thank the police for their
efforts.”
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai
Owoseni, who paraded the suspects, said the
police were on the trail of Mama Chioma, who was
believed to have other victims in her custody.
He said, “The woman is also known as chairlady.
She is being hunted now. We are going to find out
if she does not have other victims. But we have the
two suspects – the barber and the prophet – with
us. The police want parents to take more proper
care of their children to avoid them falling preys to
abductors. Investigation is ongoing.”
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