[b]Police in Delta arrest pastor, foreigner for kidnapping 3-yr-old baby
From KOFA KINGS, Ughelli
Monday, June 06, 2011



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The police in Ughelli, Delta State, have arrested Pastor Emmanuel of African Church, Evwreni Branch and a foreigner for abducting a three-year-old child. The pastor whose name was given as Emmanuel Abuvo and his Cameroonian cohort conspired and abducted the child from her school premises pretending to be her parents.

The three-year-old baby girl was allegedly abducted from her school, Marvel International Schools, Ughelli, last Wednesday and kept in captivity for four days
The police from the area immediately swung into action with the local vigilance group following a tip-off that a pastor of the African Church and his Cameroonian cohort abducted the three-old-baby and were hiding her in an uncompleted building at Evwreni village in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state

According to a source, they noticed unusual noise and movements within an uncompleted building at Evwreni near the church that was being pastored by Pastor Emmanuel Abuvo, one of the kidnap suspects, so they immediately contacted the police at Ughelli and the vigilance group since they were more familiar with the terrain.
Continuing, he said luck ran out on the unsuspecting pastor who was arrested within the premises of the uncompleted building by the police who laid ambush while he made frantic effort to escape.

The source, who pleaded anonymity further stated that immediately the pastor was arrested he started making useful confession that led to the arrest of his cohort. He said through the information given by the pastor to the police, the police were able to accost his alleged accomplice, a Cameroonian, Mr. Stephen Williams, who was at the time waiting for the N4 million ransom they had earlier agreed on with the parent of the abducted child, Mr. Ugbara.

The foreign kidnap suspect, Williams, who spoke with Daily Sun admitted committing the crime.
He said, “my name is Stephen Williams. I am 20 years of age and I am from Duala, Cameroon. I have been working in Nigeria for four years as a watch day with the Riverland Hotels, Ughelli. I have nothing to hide anymore. I kidnapped the baby on the instruction of my friend, Pastor Emmanuel Abuvo who promised to give me plenty of money and it was him, the pastor, who came to carry myself and the baby on his motorcycle to Evwreni near his church. We demanded N4 million as ransom before the release of the baby. Of a truth, this is my first time of committing crime and I was lured into it by the pastor. I have been beaten half dead and if I am let go, I shall never ever involve myself in any crime again, big or small.”

A police source who spoke on grounds of anonymity at the A Division, Ughelli, confirmed the incident and said the parents of the baby girl, Mr. and Mrs. Ugbara had earlier on Tuesday, June 1, reported the kidnapping/missing of their child at Marvel International School, Ughelli.[/b]Confirming the arrest of the kidnappers, the police added that they would be charged to court as soon as investigation into the matter was completed.