Two stolen kids that were rescued
by the Cross River State Police Command on Thursday said they were made sex
slaves by a herbalist, Emmanuel Akpan-Okon, who held them hostage for four
years.
The kids, Esther Wisdom and
Felicia Destiny, both aged 11, said in the four years that they were held
hostage, the herbalist raped them almost every day.
Akpan-Okon (42) was arrested by
the police following a tip-off that he specialised in the preparation of charms
for armed robbers.
The state Commissioner of Police,
Mr. Henry Fadairo, said the rescued kids were abducted from their parents
separately from Onitsha, Anambra State, and Auchi, Edo State.
He said, “On November 16, 2015,
we raided one Emmanuel Akpan’s home in Akamkpa, in the Akamkpa Local Government
Area of Cross River State, based on a tip-off. We gathered he was into the
preparation of charms for armed robbers and treatment of criminals with bullet
wounds.
“During the raid, we saw two
little girls in his house. One is Esther Wisdom and the other, Felicia Destiny.
They are both 11 years. On enquiry, we found out that they were abducted four
years ago. Wisdom was stolen from Onitsha while Destiny was stolen from Auchi.
“We are making efforts to see how
we can locate their parents. The victims claimed that he had been having
regular sex with them.”
Destiny said she was in primary
four when she was abducted, adding that the herbalist had raped her many times.
She said, “I was in primary four
when he took me away from my home. I remember that my mother lost her sister
and when she was going for the burial, she told the man, who was a commercial
motorcycle rider, to bring me to her village. That was how I found myself
living with him. I used to tell him that I did not like sex, but he continued.”
Also, Wisdom said, “He has been
having sex with us regularly. He gives us food to eat and promises that one day
he will take us back to our mothers.”
Akpan-Okon, who is from Akwa Ibom
State, said he abducted the girls because their mothers could not cater for
them.
He said, “While staying in the
same compound with Wisdom’s mother at Onitsha, I observed that she had problems
bringing up her nine children. This girl, Wisdom, was always with me when I was
staying in their compound. So, when I wanted to leave Onitsha, I took her with
me without telling her mother.
“When I left Onitsha with her, I
went to Auchi, and was riding a commercial motorcycle as a means of livelihood.
Where I stayed in Auchi, Destiny was always coming to play with Esther. I also
noticed that Destiny’s mother had many children. So, when I wanted to leave the
town, I took her along.
“I had sex with them and I know
it is bad in the sight of God. I have a girl child who is with the mother. I
will not be happy if she is treated this way.”
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