Two Siblings Kidnapped by Woman Posing as Customer
A woman posing as a customer has kidnapped two siblings in front of their house near St Peter’s Catholic Church in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State.
The victims, Philomena Kpaakpa, 4, and Benedict Kpaakpa, 2, were abducted on Sunday, September 24, 2023, around 9 am.
According to Comr. Wonov Tersoo Felix, a family friend of the children, the woman bought N50 soya milk from the children and gave them a N500 note. She then asked them to follow her to a nearby shop to buy something else and give them their change.
The children’s mother, who had gone to attend the morning mass at the church, returned home and discovered that her children were missing. She raised an alarm and alerted the neighbours and the police.
Felix said that the woman had not been seen or identified before in the area and that there was no CCTV footage or eyewitnesses to trace her. He said that the family was devastated by the incident and appealed to anyone with useful information on the whereabouts of the children to contact the police or the family.
He also urged the security agencies to be on alert and check any suspicious person travelling with children of similar age and appearance.
The police spokesperson for Benue State, DSP Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident and said that the police were investigating the matter. She said that no ransom demand had been made by the kidnappers so far and that the police were working hard to rescue the children and arrest the culprits.
Also, she advised parents to be vigilant and not allow their children to interact with strangers or leave their homes unattended. She said that anyone with information that could assist the police should call 08068915200 or 08107761402.
