Two-Year-Old Boy Rescued After Kidnapping in Cross River

A two-year-old boy who was kidnapped from Bunyia Iruan community in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State has been rescued. This came after two suspected kidnappers were caught by local youths in Ogberia Ochoro community, located in the Mbube area of Ogoja Local Government Area.

The suspects are 17-year-olds, Suahnen Lorlumun and Sekeghshie Silas. They were taken to the Okubuchi Police Outpost by the Clan Head of Bunyia Iruan. This was done because there were fears that the youths in the area might harm them.

ASP Sunday Eitokpah, the Public Relations Officer for the Cross River State Police Command, confirmed the story in a statement to journalists on Thursday in Calabar. Eitokpah mentioned that the police were aware of what happened and that the suspects were brought to the police outpost for their own safety.

“The Cross River State Police Command is aware of an incident involving two young men, namely Suahnen Lorlumun, 17, and Sekeghshie Silas, 17, who were brought to the Okubuchi Police Outpost by the Clan Head of Bunyia Irruan, for their safety following concerns that they could be lynched by youths in the area,” the statement read.

Eitokpah added that the two suspects were later released into the custody of the Clan Head, along with three officials from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons who came from Calabar. “The Command further confirms that the two young men were subsequently released into the custody of the Clan Head, in the company of three officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons from Calabar,” the statement said.

An eyewitness, who asked to remain anonymous, shared that the suspects were caught by the community's vigilante group. They were allegedly trying to take the boy through the community when they were stopped. “When we noticed that they were trying to take the boy across our community, we had to stop them. We stopped the two of them and arrested them by our community vigilante group,” he said.

The eyewitness also said that after their capture, the suspects were taken to the village square. There, they were tied to a concrete wall fence and beaten until the police arrived. The boy had been kidnapped two days before this incident in the Bunyia Iruan community.