Police in Akwa Ibom State have rescued three abducted children and arrested two suspected child traffickers in an operation near Ekparakwa village, Channels Television reported. The outcome was hailed as a swift success for the security forces, who managed to recover the children unharmed and detain the suspects within hours of receiving an alert about the abduction.
The case was made public by the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, in a statement issued in Uyo on Thursday. According to the spokesperson, the command had been alerted the previous evening, setting in motion a rapid response that would lead investigators to the missing children and the people suspected of taking them.
The alarm was raised by a member of the public. At about 7pm on Wednesday, the command received a distress call from a concerned individual reporting the abduction of three children along Ekparakwa village, prompting officers to treat the matter as an urgent search for the youngsters before they could be moved far from the area.
On receiving the report, the response was immediate. Detectives were mobilised at once and all strategic entry and exit routes within the area were swiftly cordoned off, as part of a coordinated operation aimed at rescuing the victims and apprehending those responsible for taking them, the police spokesperson said.
The breakthrough came when officers stopped a passing vehicle. During the search operation, operatives intercepted a minibus, and a thorough search of the vehicle led to the discovery of the three missing children inside the bus, bringing the search to a successful end at the roadside checkpoint.
The children were found in good condition. According to the statement, they were rescued unharmed while two suspects were arrested on the spot. The rescued children have since been reunited with their families, while the two suspects remain in police custody as the case is taken forward by investigators.
The state commissioner of police commended the swift response of the operatives, as well as the vigilance of community members whose timely information aided the successful rescue operation. The episode underlined the role that prompt reporting by residents can play in helping the police recover abduction victims quickly and safely.