Abia State Police Command has said it arrested four suspects in connection with the missing four children, allegedly stolen by a yet-to-be-identified neighbour in Umuahia, the state capital.
The latest incident is coming less than a month after all four children of the same parents were stolen by a tricycle operator, engaged to convey them to school.
In the latest incident, which occurred over the weekend, two of the stolen children are siblings, one their cousin, while the other is from another parent.
They were said to have been stolen by a tenant, who just moved into their compound located at Ubakala Street by Ossah Road Umuahia.
According to sources, the said neighbour, who has no traceable Identity, only packed in the compound on Thursday and spent two days in the apartment before bolting away with the innocent children.
She was said to have given them a treat under the pretext of being a good neighbour before disappearing.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, ASP, Maureen Chinaka, said the incident had been reported to the Central Police Station Umuahia.
According to the PPRO, the matter was reported by one Mrs Ifeanyi Uduma Ibe.
Police said Mrs Ibe had told the police that she left four children to the care of a neighbour at Ubakala Street by Ossah Road before she came back from a brief errand, and she had disappeared with all four children.
The PPRO, who described the incident as unfortunate, said the Police had launched an investigation into the matter.
A release by the PPRO said: “On the 17th of December 2023, at about 0900 Hrs, Mrs Ifeanyi Udoma Ibe, a resident of Ubakala Street by Ossai Road, Umuahia, reported to the Central Police Station (CPS) Umuahia that she entrusted four children to the care of a new female tenant, including two of hers and her neighbours, namely: Joy Uduma (female, three years old). Ogbonna Uduma (male, six years old). Chioma Kingsley (female, five years old). Miracle Ikechukwu (female, five years old).
“Police interaction with Mrs Ibe revealed that the tenant had moved in just three days before the incident and Mrs Ibe could not provide details such as the tenant’s name or GSM number.“
Meanwhile, the landlord of the said house, Mr Uche Akachukwu, denied any knowledge that the said tenant packed in.
The landlord claimed he gave the agent the key to show her the room on Thursday, so she would come to sign the papers with the lawyer, only to be told that a tenant had absconded with four children.
According to the landlord, he only knew about it when one of the tenants, Mrs Ibe, called him to ask for the contact of the new tenant.
The landlord explained that he was surprised because he did not expect the tenant to pack in before completing the document-signing formality.
Meanwhile, efforts to trace the escapee tenant possibly by her bank account became fruitless, as the landlord said, she transferred her house rent via Pont of Sale, POS.
He claimed that when he demanded her to identify, the agent had dismissed it as unnecessary.
Police have vowed to apprehend the said run-away tenant and her accomplices.
