An investigating police officer, ASP Desmond Apella, told the FCT court that the police rescued nine children from their abductors.

Mr Apella was testifying as the third prosecution witness (PW3) before Justice Peter Kekemeke in a case of alleged trafficking in children preferred against a man and woman.

The police charged Ifeoma Abonyi, 32 and Emmanuel Onyekwere, 32, with conspiracy and child trafficking.

Mr Apella told the court he was on the team investigating the matter.

He said in November 2019, a man, Thomas Olobo, wrote a petition to the inspector general of police about the disappearance of his 17-month-old child.

The witness said that during the investigation, the complainant told them that the defendants, who pretended to be a couple, and the complainant’s neighbour asked if the baby could accompany them to the market.

“The complainant granted the request, and the first defendant took the child. They never returned the baby, and the second defendant, who claimed to be the first defendant’s husband, equally disappeared,” he said.

The witness told the court that the police later traced the defendants in Ibusa, Delta, where they were arrested.

He said the follow-up of their investigation revealed that the defendants were operating a syndicate of child trafficking.

”We found out that the defendants had sold the baby to someone in Aba. We rescued the baby and reunited her with her parents. We also discovered that this is what they do. We also rescued six other children from them,” he told the court.

Ms Abonyi was reported to have absconded, leaving the second defendant to face the matter alone.

The second defendant did not have a legal representative.

Mr Kekemeke promised that the court would contact the Legal Aid Council and other lawyers to take pro bono.

He then adjourned until March 19 for cross-examination of PW3 and possible continuation of the trial.

(NAN)