Police Arrest Catholic Priest, Others for Child Theft
By Anne Bassey
For attempting to steal two children, Rumuolumeni Police Divisional Headquarters in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State has arrested a Catholic cleric, Reverend Fr. Collins Menegbo and two suspects.
According to Daily Sun the clergy conspired with Helen Bassey and another suspect identified as Gift to steal the children within Ngbakatali community of the state on Saturday.
The cleric was caught by curious passers-by and natives and took him to the palace of the paramount ruler as custom demands after which he was handed over to the police for proper investigation.
Father of the children, Stanley Obisike, an indigene of Ibaa in Emohua LGA of the state, narrated the incident to journalists.
He said the priest had visited his shop when his wife was with the children, pretending to have come to buy something and later left with the children to the other suspects’ flat in the neighborhood to discuss with them.
Obisike further revealed that the suspect afterwards carried the kids, who are between the ages of one and three, inside his tinted Peugeot ready to drive out when the mother of the children raised an alarm.
The father has also complained about plots by some police officers handling the case to cover up the crime and grant bail to the key suspect without proper investigation.
Reacting to this, Rivers state Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed has told journalists that he has already ordered that the bail process be cancelled and the suspects be transferred to the Anti-Kidnap Unit (AKU) for investigation.
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