According to the police, the suspects kidnapped five children in Makurdi, took them to Umuahia, the capital of Abia State and sold one of the children for 700,000 Naira. The Benue State Police Command in collaboration with the police in Abia State, traced and arrested seven of the kidnappers, including the child buyer who paid 700,000 Naira for one of the kidnapped boys. No Hiding Place The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Paul Yakadi, briefed reporters about the crime while parading the nine suspects and the rescued children before Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State. Child trafficking and kidnapping are fast spreading to Benue State, as kidnappers and child hawkers are migrating from the south eastern states up north. Six children were reportedly declared missing by the police in October after their parents filed complaints. The police swung into action, leading to the arrest of seven of the kidnappers in Abia State. The Commissioner of Police said two of the victims had been re-united with their families. The kidnap mastermind claimed that the children were brought to her to provide them with care, but investigations by the police revealed she sold one of the kidnapped boys for 700,000 Naira to another woman who also trade in children. While handing over the two of the rescued kidnap victims to their parents, Governor Ortom said there was no hiding place for kidnappers and criminals in the state and urged them to repent of their sins. The illicit trade in human beings and child kidnapping is fast spreading like wide fire and the vice is no longer limited to the south-east, hence the need for government and security in the affected states to close ranks in dealing with the problem. channelstv.com