How Kano Police rescued 9 kids kidnapped by Anambra syndicate, after they were rechristened, converted to Christianity, sold to “child slavery”

The online medium (not The DEFENDER), claimed it sighted a document which reveals the original names and new names of the children. For instance, 10-year-old Umar Faruq Ibrahim and nine-year-old Aisha Mohammed Abdullahi – kidnapped some four year ago – were renamed Onyedika Ogbodo and Ozioma Ogbodo respectively. 

Just as facts continue to emerge against the tagging of one particular tribe of Fulani by other tribes as solely responsible for insecurity that is kidnap, banditry, armed robbery and other crimes in the country, the Nigerian Police Kano State Command has successfully uncovered yet another syndicate which specialized in kidnapping children in Kano city for onward sales to customers of various types.

This syndicate run mainly by a couple namely; Paul Owne (38) and his wife, Mercy Paul (38), residing at Dakata quarters in of Kano and who have the attitude of first moving their preys to from the Muslim dominated Northern community to the Christian dominated South Eastern state of Anambra.

In Anambra, they are specifically said to first and foremost rechristen their kid victims from their original Muslim names to either Christian or Igbo names depending on what customers’ specifications are, convert them from their religion of Islam to Christianity and then sell them off, some for child adoption purposes and others for “child slavery”. 

This act of converting kid victims from Islam to Christianity, a respondent has appealed, should not be minded by well meaning Nigerians as, according to him, “We should treat criminals as criminals.  What these guys kidnapping and converting victims from Islam to Christianity have done has nothing to do with religion but purely criminally personal economy. 

“To unsuspecting Nigerians in the North, this can cause problem as to what exactly do these Igbo people want that they come to our city of Kano to kidnap our children only to take them to their Igbo Land and convert them to Christianity? But if we truly believe in this country and the government of the day, we should not allow that thought to come on our minds.  These kidnappers are strictly criminals.  Yes, we have been told that only Fulani herdsmen are criminals kidnapping people in the country, we can now see that those information are not completely true. The fact that after selling those children to those adopting or taking them into child slavery should convince us all that their kidnappers are basically on their own and must be made to face the consequences under the law,” the respondent who spoke under condition of anonymity told The DEFENDER.

Officially, the Police in Kano, which did not come open on details of the victims’ data, only said it had traced and rescued nine children kidnapped at different times in Kano and trafficked to Onitsha, Anambra State by their assailants.

Speaking to journalists at the Bompai Police Headquarters in Kano on Saturday, the state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ahmed Iliyasu, said the ring of the human traffickers that have been operating for over five years in the ancient city of Kano were smashed by the Command’s tactical team working in conjunction with the Inspector General of Police Operation PUFF ADDER attached to the anti-kidnapping squad.

Speaking to Reporters, Paul confessed to have committed the crime, with five others, adding that he and his wife has been in the illicit job for over five years.

According to him, “since I have been in this business, I have never a human for less than N300, 000. I regret my actions now and I am pleading for forgiveness because I have vowed not to go into this kind of business again.”

Also speaking, Paul’s wife, Mercy, said she has been pleading with Paul to stop the business, “I am a divorcee. I met Paul few years ago and we got married. I have warned him severally over this business but he didn’t listen, look at where it has landed us now.”

Also, five kidnappers were apprehended in Bauchi state for kidnapping a two-year-old boy from Kano.

The kidnappers were said to be neighbours with their victims’ parents from whom they demanded a ransom of N1 million, but were arrested at the point of negotiation by the police who disguised as their negotiator.

According to him, “on 25 September, 2019 at about 10 p.m, a report of organized kidnapping was reported by one Buhari Rabiu of Medile Sheka wuarters, Kano that his son, one Abubakar Buhari, aged two and half years old was kidnapped by unknown persons and taken to an unknown destination.

“One Buhari Na ‘Ali aged 22, a neighbour to the complainant was arrested in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi state and the victim was rescued at School of Health Technology, Ningi.

“On interrogation, he confessed to have conspired with one Ibrahim Ahmed (20) of Sheka quarters and Mubarak Gidare (23) from Ningi, Bauchi state, an accomplice were arrested.

“The kidnappers said while negotiating for the collection of the ransom at N160, 000, but on arresting them, the police recovered N124, 700 from them.”

Items recovered include 25 assorted types of assault rifles, five bags of Indian Hemp, three bags containing live and expired 9.62 ammunition, as well as 22 stolen vehicles.

Kidnap victims renamed, converted to Christianity – Media Source

Although the police chief was silent about their conversion and rechristening, a security source familiar with the situation, according to Daily Nigerian, said that the children were first shaved, renamed, converted to Christianity and then sold off either for adoption or “child slavery”.

The online medium (not The DEFENDER), claimed it sighted a document which reveals the original names and new names of the children. For instance, 10-year-old Umar Faruq Ibrahim and nine-year-old Aisha Mohammed Abdullahi – kidnapped some four year ago – were renamed Onyedika Ogbodo and Ozioma Ogbodo respectively. 

It was gathered, according to the report, that some of the children could not even recall their real names as they only answer their new names.

What led to the rescue

The Daily Nigerian, apparently informed by its security source, continued, “Between year 2014 to 2019, one Sagir Mohammed Bako of Yankaba quarters and others reported to the commissioner of police that several number of their children whose age are between two and six years have been kidnapped and taken away to unknown destination by unknown persons.

“On September 12, at about 11:00am one Paul Owne of Dakata Quarters and Mercy Paul alias Maimuna of same address were arrested while trying to take one of the kidnapped victims, Haruna Sagir Bako, to Onitsha in Anambra State.

“The victim was kidnapped a day earlier on his way back from Islamiyya School at Yankaba Quarters by Messrs Onwe and Paul.” 

While advising parents to be vigilant, the security source, it reported, said a number of similar syndicates are operating in Kano state.

“Parents should be very watchful and avoid what will leave them in perpetual agony. The kidnappers are on the prowl. They will just kidnap today, board luxurious bus the next day and sell off children for slavery,” he said.