Reverend Sister, pastor’s son steal children during worship, sell them

The alleged Chime and Okoro

A Reverend Sister, Geraldine Chime, attached to the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja and the son of her pastor, have been arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, for allegedly stealing and selling children.

According to the police, Chime, 44, collected two boys, believed to have stolen from Assembly of God’s Church in Anambra State between January and April 2017. 

Investigators said that Chime, also operates an orphanage home, known as Oblek of the Foundation Orphanage Home, Gwagalada Abuja.

The rescued children

Chime was arrested with an accomplice named Obby Okoro, 35. The police said that Okoro used to supply male children to Chime for sale.

The hunt and arrest of Chime and her alleged members of syndicate was led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Abba Kyari.

The police said: “The syndicate specialised in kidnapping children from churches across the South Eastern part of the country, and then sell to the Reverend Sister for N500, 000. The Reverend Sister would then resell them to people in need of children.”

Okoro was said to be part of the syndicate that used to steal children from churches and sell to Chime.

In the course of investigation, Okoro was trailed to Lagos by IRT operatives and arrested. During interrogation, she confessed to have sold two boys to Chime. She also disclosed that the victims’ ages are between seven and six years old.

The police said: “Okoro admitted that the children were kidnapped from their churches in Norkwa and Nnewi area of Anambra State by the son of their pastor called Nnana. Operatives took Okoro to the Gwagalada home of the Revered Sister, where one of the kidnapped boys, Daberechi Ameke, was rescued. The Reverend Sister was also arrested. Okoro also led operatives to Monkey Village area of Lagos, where the other child, Chinnonso Eze was rescued.”    

Parents of the victims, James Eze and Veronica Ameke, recalled how their children were abducted. The two parents, members of the Assembly of God’s Church in Anambra State, alleged that their pastor’s son, Nana stole and sold their children.

Veronica noted: “My six-year-old son, Daberechi was kidnapped on April 28, 2017, during a night vigil service at the Nokwa branch of the Assembly of God Church. The second child, Chinnonso is just seven-year-old. He was kidnapped on January 9, 2017.”

Veronica further said: “I took Daberechi to a night vigil in my church, Assembly of God’s Church, where I worship at Nnokwa, Idemili Local Government Area. I started looking for him around 8: pm before the start of the night vigil, but we couldn’t find him. We also went to Nnobi Police Station and reported.

“We gave his picture to the police, and we continued searching for him. We went to so many churches to look for him. They told us that he was still alive. We kept on praying. I have five children, but Deberechi is my last child. On September 29, 2017, the police in Awka arrested some people that specialised in kidnapping children. When they were interrogated, they confessed and fingered our pastor’s son, Nana as their leader.

“Nana escaped, but some of his gang members were arrested. The police went after his father. Luckily, I received a call from one of my church members that Deberechi had been found by the police in Abuja.  I rushed down to Abuja. My son told me that Nana picked him from the church and handed him over to someone. The person brought him to Abuja.”

The Revered Sister, however, denied knowing that the boys she bought, were kidnapped.

She explained that the woman who brought the boys to her, lied to her that the children had no parents and needed homes to stay.

Chime said:  “I’m from Oji River in Enugu State.  In our orphanage home, we have children whom their mothers brought to us.  There are also some others that were brought by their relatives after the death of their parents. We also have some children from poor families.  I was arrested because a lady brought two children to my orphanage on January 2017. The second child was brought to us in May. 

“I didn’t know that the children were kidnapped. The woman, who brought the children to me, said that they had no parents. She told me she got them from a woman who runs an orphanage in the South East. I knew the woman who brought those children to me through her sister-in-law.  She was the person who asked if I needed children to give out for adoption, I said yes. I told her that I would call her when people that wanted to adopt children were on ground. Last January, a woman, who had been married for many years and needed a child, came to me and requested for a child.  I called her and told her that someone needed a male child; she brought the first child.  I gave the child to the woman who needed him. The woman paid N650, 000. The woman that brought the child was given N500, 000.

“I used the remaining to prepare documents for the adoption.  I usually prepare the adoption documents from Kaduna State because the people at the Abuja welfare refused to do it for me.  Whenever I’m preparing the documents, I would give the welfare officials the name of the adopting parent and that of the child. I will also pay the sum of N60, 000.  I have 15 children in my orphanage and we have no international affiliations; but we source our funds through donations.”