A Police Sergeant identified as Goodluck Mark attached to Abia State Police Command has been arrested over his involvement in a child trafficking activity.
Mark, who is also a prominent Evangelist of the Church of Christ, Seventh Day Adventist, Osaa-Ukwu in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state, was arrested by the village’s vigilante.
They handed him over to the police and he was detained at D7 Umuahia, the state capital.
The officer was also accused of allegedly confiscating the sum N600,000 he reportedly acquired through illegal selling of a yet-to-be recovered child to unknown buyer.
A source from Osaa-ukwu, who pleaded anonymity expressed shock at “sudden alleged release” of the embattled officer, saying “most of us are surprised. I was shocked. What happened was that some time ago, that was last month, a certain woman from my community connived with one man who owns a maternity home to sell her own baby for N600,000. Unfortunately they were caught by the vigilante of the community.
“The vigilante decided that they should be handed over to the police as the law demands. One of our brothers whom we know as a police officer was called upon to take the suspects to the station and register the case.
“The money realised from their dubious sale was dug out from ground where they buried it and handed the over to the officer as evidence. Instead of him to follow the law and take the suspects into custody, the officer in pretence of taking the suspects to police station, on the way, released the two men involved to run and warned them never to return to the community.”
Contacted, Apostle Jasper Ohuoba of the Church of Christ, Seventh Day Adventist, Osaa-Ukwu, where Mark worships, confirmed his arrest.
Apostle Ohuoba said: “Actually, I heard about that; I wasn’t there and I can’t attest the authenticity of the story of him been involved in child trafficking. I was at D7 Umuahia and the IPO told me vehemently that he wasn’t arrested for child trafficking, but for illegally diverting money gotten as profit from the sale.
“But the man involved (Mark) denied it right there at the police station, saying that he knew nothing about the whole story. That’s all I can say and all I know about the case.”
Abia State Police Command spokesman, Geoffrey Ogbonna, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), confirmed the incident, but stated that the embattled officer was a dismissed Sergeant.
Ogbonna confirmed the detention of Mark at the custody of D7 in Umuahia.
He said the case has been transferred to Zone 9 headquarters for further investigation.
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