The Plateau State Police Command has saved four children who were reportedly tricked by suspected child traffickers in the state luring them away with biscuits.
Olugbenga Adesina, the Commissioner of Police, revealed this to journalists at the Command’s Jos headquarters on Wednesday.
According to Adesina, on October 12, 2024, the police got a distress call indicating that four children had disappeared the previous day.
He said, “At about 4:30 pm on 11 October 2024, we received a report at ‘A’ Division Police Station that four children were unaccounted for. According to a neighbour’s daughter, the children had last been seen with one Comfort, a female who frequently visited her friend, Adamu Bawa, in the compound, often buying them biscuits.”
He continued by saying that police officers acted quickly after getting the report, which resulted in the four children being rescued and two suspects being taken into custody.
In a separate operation, the Commissioner disclosed that 25 suspects had been apprehended for various offences across the state. Among them was one Emmanuel Joseph, who was caught with a fabricated pistol after robbing a female churchgoer of her phone and power bank, valued at N75,000.
Narrating the incident, Adesina said, “On 16 October 2024, at about 10:00 am, one Sandra Dalyop reported at ‘A’ Division Police Station that on 8 October 2024, she was robbed by unidentified armed men while returning from church.
“The stolen items included one Techno Camon 12 Pro phone, valued at N60,000, and one Redmi power bank, valued at N15,000. Following investigations, our operatives arrested Emmanuel Joseph of Rukuba Road, and a locally fabricated pistol was recovered from him.”
A cybercrime ring involving 11 suspects was also dismantled by the police, including two main offenders, Daniel and Ateh Anthony Idoko, both aged 23.
According to reports, the suspects kidnapped secondary school graduates, held them captive in remote homes, and forced them to commit internet fraud.
“On 20 October 2024, we received information that these internet fraudsters (commonly known as Yahoo Boys) had conspired to traffic young boys who had just graduated from secondary school, confiscating their phones and forcing them to engage in romance scams. Those who refused were beaten with a horsewhip by the ringleader,” Adesina explained.
Following this tip, the Rantya Divisional Police Officer organised personnel to conduct a raid on the hideaway, which resulted in the arrest of 11 suspect.
Adesina promised that when investigations are concluded, all culprits would face charges in court.
He commended the public for their support and asked them to keep working with the police to make Plateau State safer.
“In times like these, community support is invaluable. I encourage the people of Plateau to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities. When you see something, say something,” he added.
