▪︎As 2,792 others get arrested for SGBV offences in 2020
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, on Sunday, said that the action plan being implemented by the Force to curb Sexual and Gender Based Violence, particularly all forms of abuse on women and children in the country, was yielding positive results.
According to a statement by Force Public Relations Officer Force Headquarters, Abuja, CP Frank Mba, the
IGP made the affirmation on the heels of the arrest of five members of a kidnap- for- ransom gang, which specializes in the abduction of women and the girl child, sexually abusing them and obtaining ransom from their families before their release.
He said the five suspects were arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team following massive manhunt by the Force for the perpetrators of the recent trend of abduction of women in some States in the South-South part of the country, especially Port Harcourt and its environs.
Mba further stated that the victims were subjected to a series of sexual abuses and ransom demanded from their families before their release.
He said the suspects were Osinachi Ngwakwe ‘m’ 22yrs from Ubaka Community in Umahia South LGA, Abia State, Sammy Junior Inordee ‘alias T-Boy ‘m’ 27yrs, from Gwarra Community in Khana LGA, Rivers State, Epo-Bari Nwolu ‘m’ 26yrs from Ogale Community in Eleme, LGA, Rivers State, Yabari Gbarale ‘m’ 29yrs from Gwara7 community, Khana LGA, Rivers State and Barine Yilda ‘m’ 30yrs alias Albino or Yellow from Gwara community, Khana LGA, Rivers State.
Mba added that investigations disclosed that the suspects targeted lone female drivers of Porsche cars as they drive out of offices, shopping malls or any vulnerable places and trail them to lonely roads, abduct and take them to their criminal hideouts, sexually abuse them and demand ransom from their families before their release and sell off their exotic cars.
He said four AK47 rifles, one double barrel short gun and a set of military camouflage uniforms suspected to have been illegally acquired, which they wear to beat security checks, were recovered.
Mba added that effort was being intensified to arrest other fleeing gang members and recover more weapons and stolen vehicles used by the suspects for their operations.
He further stated that operatives of the Nigeria Police INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, have arrested two Kano-based suspects, Ibrahim Muazzam Mohammad Aminu and Mohammad Tahir Umar.
Mba said investigations showed that the suspects were members of a trans-border/international child porn syndicate which”sexually abuse and take undue advantage of underage girls and disseminate the video recordings of the illicit sexual act on an international social media Whatsapp group chat known as ‘pervertidos’, owned and managed by a Brazilian called Adriana.”
He said their arrest followed intelligence received from the INTERPOL NCB, Brasilia.
Mba added that exhibits recovered from the suspects included three mobile phones and a Laptop computer.
He forensic investigations/analysis carried out by the Police team on the gadgets indicated a series of pornographic/erotic videos with underage girls, which the suspects shared on the internet for a fee denominated in US Dollars.
Meanwhile, the IGP noted that a total of 2,792 suspects were arrested by the Police for Sexual and Gender Based Violence and other sexual-related offences in the year 2020.
Mba said the arrests were linked to the 2,573 cases currently being prosecuted under the Force Gender Unit in various courts across the country, adding that others were still under active investigations.
He said the IGP enjoined parents and guardians to keep a close watch on their children and wards and report any incidents of abuse against women and children.
Mba said the IGP expressed his displeasure with the prevailing culture of silence in concealing crimes against women and children and calls for improved collaboration with the Police, assuring them that the Force was well repositioned to protect women and children and confront violent crimes in the country.
He said all the suspects would be arraigned in court on completion of investigations.
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