The Delta Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old man identified as Precious and his lover, for allegedly selling a 10-year-old girl (name withheld) to gunmen who killed her in Udu Local Government Area of the state.
The incident unfolded when Precious revealed how he delivered the child to unknown individuals who killed her for their needs.
The Delta State Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bright Edafe, who confirmed their arrest on Monday, said: “They are both boyfriend and girlfriend. The lady has triplets sisters who are 10 years old. The guy came to her and asked her to give him one of the triplets. He said he wanted to use the child he requested for for something. She declined but she did not raise alarm. She didn’t report it to the parents of the triplets or the community or the police.”
According to the police, the child was noticed to have gone missing, promoting the family to alert the police for an investigation that led to both lovers arrest.
Edafe said “Later that same day, one of the triplets went missing. When they started looking for the girl, that was when the girlfriend realized that the guy mentioned that he wanted one of the triplets. She raised alarm and told her parents who informed the community and they went to look for Precious and he was arrested.”
Upon interrogation, Precious confessed to taking the child to two unidentified boys who had approached him with a N200,000 offer for the child.
In his confession, Precious disclosed confessed to the act, claiming that his girlfriend was in on the act, which she denied. “When I told my girlfriend to give me one of the triplets, she just walked away. I came back and told her again and this time, she agreed. I sent a guy to go and call the child. I took the child to two boys. I met the boys in Owaquo. It happened on the 9th of this month. The next day, people started looking for the child. My girlfriend came to meet me and told me she hopes its not her sister I gave to the boys. I said yes. After that, she went home and later ran away but people found her and wanted to beat her but she was left alone.”
The suspect confessed witnessed the entire act of the child’s killing. “The boys I gave the child to killed the child. They used a cutlass to kill the child. I witnessed the whole act. I felt pained when they were killing the child. The remains of the child is in Owaquo. They buried her.”, he said.
The police stated that the remains of the child has not been found, just as they begin a manhunt for the two individuals who orchestrated the ritual killing.