Modelling job: Kidnapper lures, abducts, rapes ladies

Police in Anambra State have arrested a man and his sister for conniving to abduct ladies desperate for job, rape and later collect ransom from their worried parents.

The suspects, Treasure and Lillian, from Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, were alleged to have tricked a lady, Peace, from Enugu State to Mgbachu village, Nkpor-Uno in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State under the pretence that they were going to employ her in a modelling company at Nkpor.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Garba Umar, explained that while Peace was in captivity, Treasure demanded N1,000,000 ransom from her parents before she could be released.

He said: “While Peace was in captivity, Treasure went through her phone, saw the contact of Nche Thelma Blessing and called her. He told Blessing that he had a modelling work contract, which would last for two years. He told her that she would be paid N250,000. On January 15, 2018, Blessing arrived Nkpor and was received by Treasure. Treasure tricked her to his apartment and locked her up. He later demanded N50,000 ransom. When he noticed that the money was not forthcoming, he collected her two handsets and a cash of N31,000. He striped and attempted to rape her. But she managed to escape from captivity.

“Since he was still in possession of Blessing’s phone, Treasure went through her contacts and latched on the name Victoria. He copied the phone number and gave it to his sister, Lillian to dial. Thus, Lillian, posing as Blessing, called and lured Victoria, who hails from Akwa Ibom State, to Nkpor where Treasure took her to his house and raped her and later collected ransom of N145,000, from her parents.

“Treasure would later handover Victoria’s Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card to Lillian, to go and empty the victim’s account before she was released.”

Umar said that the suspects had both confessed to the crime, stressing that they would soon be arraigned in court.

The commissioner also paraded seven other persons involved in child trafficking and robbery. They were arrested in different parts of the state, said Umar.

He added that a police inspector, Mr.  Hassan Ahmadu, and a team of 55 Police Mobile Force, Aba, Abia State, while on duty on Osisioma Road junction in Abia State, saw two persons, Abuchi David Onochie and Obinna Ekwugo, with a three-year-old boy. When the men were stopped and questioned, they couldn’t give convincing account of the boy’s identity or where they were heading with him.

Umar said: “The suspects were subsequently taken to Osisioma Police Station, where they eventually confessed that they lured the little boy, Chikamso Chukwudube Emmanuel, from his family house at Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State. The parents of the boy have since claimed their child.”

Five other persons were also paraded for allegedly robbing Ozoali Ebere Cynthia and six others at Abagana, of various items which include ATM cards, gas cooker, plasma television, telephones, stabiliser, money and generators.

Umar said the gang also robbed Dr. Onuorah Benjamin at Bekee Memorial Hospital, Nimo, of his I-Phone valued at N140,000, laptop valued at N300,000, two wristwatches worth N60,000, among other items.