The Ondo State Security Network Agency, known as the Amotekun Corps, has rescued a young boy, Eriponmile, who was abducted in the Davog area of Ijoka, Akure, in a daring operation that also led to the arrest of members of a suspected child trafficking and organ harvesting syndicate.
Commander of the Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this during a press briefing, commending his operatives for their swift and decisive action. He revealed that the rescue was achieved within 48 hours of the abduction, following a distress call from the victim’s neighborhood.
“We received a distress call from the Ijoka Davog area that Eriponmile had been kidnapped and taken away, and we immediately swung into action,” Adeleye said. “Within 48 hours, our indicators showed that Eriponmile was already outside Ondo State. We spread out our dragnet and deployed our plainclothes operatives. By the grace of God, we were able to bring him back to Ondo State to be reunited with his parents.”
The Amotekun commander stated that the boy was tracked to a hospital in the eastern part of Nigeria, where he had already undergone medical tests and was declared “fit to be harvested” by a woman identified as Amaka, suspected to be a key figure in the illegal organ trade.
Adeleye said several arrests were made, including Amaka, Ifeanyi, Adaeze, Etose, Omolara, and two others still at large. He noted that preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had been operating for a long time, with many children believed to have been trafficked and used for rituals and organ harvesting.
Confessions from some of the suspects have shed light on the gruesome trade. Adaeze Kenneth, 20, claimed to be the daughter of the alleged ringleader and recounted a previous incident where a pregnant woman gave up her baby to the syndicate.
Another suspect, Amaka Kenneth, 35, admitted to selling babies to a motherless babies’ home in Onitsha for ₦500,000 each. “Myself, Tosin, and Mr. Adewale Olokungboye are the ones doing it,” she said.
In a shocking twist, a woman confessed to selling her own child for ₦500,000, although the child was rejected after a genotype test showed he was AS.
The father of the rescued boy, Eriseun Omolewo, a native of Iju in Akure North Local Government Area, expressed profound gratitude to the Ondo State government and Amotekun Corps for the rescue.
“We have been looking for my son since last Tuesday. We approached the government for help. Today, to the glory of God, they called me and said he has been found. I really appreciate Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Amotekun Corps for their efforts,” he said.
Commander Adeleye assured the public that the agency is determined to dismantle the syndicate and bring all culprits to justice, while stepping up efforts to prevent further occurrences.
