Police in Lagos has on Thursday paraded a 35-year-old
barber, Uche Emeroha and a prophet, Kenneth Alozie for allegedly abducting two
sisters, who were returning from a summer class in the Igando area of the
state.
Emeroha said Prophet Alozie allegedly promised to pay him
N6,000 if he could abduct and bring two children to his church, Hope in God
Healing Ministry in the Agboroko area, Iyana Iba.
Emeroha, after allegedly abducting the girls on their way
back home, had handed them over to a woman identified as Mama Chioma, who then
took them to Alozie’s church.
According to the police, Emeroha was the first suspect to be
arrested and he, thereafter, led operatives to the hideout, where Alozie had
hidden the girls. Alozie, who claimed to be a prophet, was also arrested.
It was gathered that Mama Chioma was still on the run.
Emeroha said when he went to Alozie’s church for
counselling, the prophet promised to fortify him with a charm, so that he could
be bringing stolen children to the church.
He said, “I am not married. I did not know the girls before
that day. I worked as a barber on that street. One woman, Mama Chioma, was the
one who introduced me to the prophet. She collected my phone number from my
girlfriend. She took me to the prophet for counselling. I think she and the
prophet worked together.
“When I met the prophet on Tuesday, he asked me to abduct
some children. He promised to do some charms for me so that I would not be
caught and he promised to pay me N6,000. That was the first time I would run
such errand.
“When I came back to the area, I saw the girls returning
home. I accosted them and lied that their mother asked me to buy some soft
drinks for them. They did not struggle with me. I carried the younger one and
held the hand of her sister. Mama Chioma was already waiting at Akesan bus stop
to receive them. I recently moved to the area to work as a barber. I was living
in Abuja.”
Alozie, however, denied sending Emeroha on the errand,
saying he only prayed for the barber during the counselling.
He said, “I did not know him before that Tuesday. Mama
Chioma is my member. She usually brings people, who have one problem or the
other to me, so that I could pray for them. I am not a herbalist.
“I was at home on Tuesday when the woman brought this man. I
counselled and prayed for him. I only wanted to solve his problems. Later on
Tuesday when Mama Chioma brought the girls, she said they were Emeroha’s
children and his wife had abandoned him because of his challenges.”
The older girl, Jumia, told The PUNCH that Mama
Chioma took her and her sister to an unfamiliar house, gave them food and
plaited their hair.
She said, “The man, who took us away, said mummy asked him to
buy some drinks for us. He later gave us to one woman. The woman took us on a
bus to a place. She put us in one house and gave us food. She gave us rice and
soup. She later carried us to one man’s place. She also plaited our hair.
Later, the police came and carried us to the station. The police now took us
back to mummy.”
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who
paraded the suspects, said the police were on the trail of Mama Chioma, who was
believed to have other victims in her custody.
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