Panic in Umuahia as Police rescue abducted15-month-old baby in Umuahia

The Commissioner of Police in Abia, Mr Leye Oyebade on Wednesday said that men of the command had rescued a 15-month-old baby girl allegedly stolen from her mother.
Oyebade, who said this while briefing newsmen on some of the major achievements of the command, noted that the baby was stolen on Monday in Umuahia. He said that the suspected abductors, identified as Lawan Nuhu and Lawal Ahmed, took away the little Chinonye after drugging her mother, Mrs Chioma Chijindu at their residence at No. 8 Ohafia Street, Umuahia. He said that the suspects were arrested following a tip off, while N170,000 cash and a 307 Peugeot car with Reg. No. AZ 166 KWL, were recovered from them. “During investigation, the suspects confessed that they drugged the baby’s mother before escaping with the baby,” Oyebade said. He warned parents to be vigilant about the activities of their neighbours and strangers in their areas. The police commissioner also said that no fewer than 12 other people were arrested in connection with alleged criminal activities, including vandalism, armed robbery and car snatching. According to him, three suspected vandals, identified as Obirinachi Chijioke, Chigoziem Okereke and Ikemsinachi Okereke, were arrested in Obikabia in Obingwa Local Government Area, following a distress call from a resident. Oyebade said that they were arrested while they were allegedly vandalising electricity transformer belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company. “My men moved in and arrested the three suspects but two escaped,’’. According to him, the police are on the trail of two other suspects still at large. He said that the police had also arrested Joseph Godwin, who resides at Ogwo Road, off Ohanku Road, Aba, for allegedly killing his neighbour, Joel Effiong, a businessman in Aba on August 31. He said that all the suspects currently in police custody would be charged to court at the end of ongoing investigations by the police. Oyebade said that the command also arrested Ugorji Uche and Okoronkwo Chibuike, natives of Atani in Arochukwu, for allegedly stealing a Mitsubushi L300 bus with Reg. No. ATN 607 ZK. He said that the vehicle belonged to Jeremiah Igwe of Obosi in Anambra state, adding that the suspects had been transferred to Anambra state police command for further action. The commissioner of police expressed delight over the exploit of his men and commended residents of the state for assisting the command with useful information. He promised that the command would not rest on its oars until crime and criminality had been “reduced to the barest minimum in the state’’. “This is the reason my men have been working round the clock to checkmate the activities of criminals in the state,” Oyebade said. He listed items recovered from the suspects to include different kinds of arms and ammunition, electronic gadgets such as plasma television sets, tricycles and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.