…2,792 others arrested for SGBV offences in 2020
BY EVELYN DADU, ABUJA – The Nigeria Police has announced the arrest of five members of a kidnap for ransom gang which specializes in the abduction of women and the girl child, sexually abusing them and obtaining ransom from their families before their release.
This is as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, said that the action plan being implemented by the Force to curb Sexual and Gender Based Violence, particularly all forms of abuse on women and children in the country, is yielding positive results.
The IGP however expressed displeasure with the prevailing culture of silence in concealing crimes against women and children and calls for improved collaboration with the Police, assuring that the Force is well repositioned to protect women and children and confront violent crimes in the country.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba said the five suspects were arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team following massive manhunt by the Force for the perpetrators of the recent trend of abduction of women in some States in the South-South part of the country, especially Port Harcourt and its environs.
CP Mba said that the victims are subjected to series of sexual abuses and ransom demanded from their families before their release.
The suspects according to CP Mba are Osinachi Ngwakwe ‘m’ 22yrs from Ubaka Community in Umahia South LGA, Abia State, Sammy Junior Inordee ‘alias T-Boy ‘m’ 27yrs, from Gwarra Community in Khana LGA, Rivers State, Epo-Bari Nwolu ‘m’ 26yrs from Ogale Community in Eleme, LGA, Rivers State, Yabari Gbarale ‘m’ 29yrs from Gwara community, Khana LGA, Rivers State and Barine Yilda ‘m’ 30yrs alias Albino or Yellow from Gwara community, Khana LGA, Rivers State.
The police spokesman said that investigations revealed that the suspects target lone female drivers of Porsche cars as they drive out of offices, shopping malls or any vulnerable places.
Mba further said; “They thereafter, trail them to lonely roads, abduct and take them to their criminal hideouts, sexually abuse them and demand ransom from their families before their release.
“They also sell off their exotic cars. Four AK47 rifles, one double barrel shotgun and set of military camouflage uniforms suspected to have been illegally acquired, which they wear to beat security checks, were recovered”.
The police said that effort is being intensified to arrest other fleeing gang members and recover more weapons and stolen vehicles used by the suspects for their operations.
In a related development, Operatives of the Nigeria Police INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja have arrested two Kano based suspects namely; Ibrahim Muazzam Mohammad Aminu and Mohammad Tahir Umar.
The police said that investigations revealed that the suspects are members of a trans-border/international child porn syndicate which sexually abuse and take undue advantage of underage girls and disseminate the video recordings of the illicit sexual act on an international social media WhatsApp group chat known as “Pervertidos”, owned and managed by a Brazilian called Adriana.
CP Mba said that their arrest followed intelligence received from the INTERPOL NCB, Brasilia, adding that exhibits recovered from the suspects include: three mobile phones and a Laptop computer.
The police spokesman said that forensic investigations/analysis carried out by the Police team on the gadgets revealed the series of pornographic/erotic videos with underage girls which the suspects shared on the internet for a fee denominated in US Dollars.
Meanwhile, the IGP said that a total of 2,792 suspects were arrested by the Police for Sexual and Gender Based Violence and other sexual related offences in the year 2020.
He said that the arrests are linked to the 2,573 cases currently being prosecuted under the Force Gender Unit in various courts across the country, adding that others are still under active investigations.
The IGP enjoins parents and guardians to keep a close watch on their children and wards and report any incidents of abuse against women and children.
CP Mba said that all the suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigations.
