A shocking case of child abuse and ritual killing has been uncovered in Rivers State, where 12 suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys, have been arrested for allegedly burying a newborn baby alive.
The suspects were nabbed at the Andoni waterfront in Eagle Island, Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Wednesday morning.
The arrest was made possible by the joint efforts of the police and the Port Harcourt Local Government Authority Area Security Watch, led by its chairman, Victor Ohaji.
Ohaji told reporters that they received a tip-off about the evil activities of the suspects, who had dug a shallow grave and buried a baby boy at the waterfront.
“When we dug the place, we saw a newborn baby, a bouncing baby boy. Very fine boy that they buried.
“We called the Situation Officer of Eagle Island and informed him of our discovery so that he could relate to the Divisional Police Officer.
“The police and neighbourhood watchmen joined us, and we started going around Eagle Island to see if we could find the suspects,” he said.
Ohaji said that they were able to identify and arrest 12 suspects, who confessed to being involved in internet fraud and ritual killing.
He said that the suspects claimed that they buried the baby alive as part of a ritual to boost their chances of success in their online scams.
He said that the suspects also revealed that they had rented an apartment in Eagle Island, where they carried out their nefarious activities. He said that they had lured some unsuspecting young girls to their apartment, where they impregnated them and used their babies for rituals.
Ohaji condemned the barbaric act and urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the security agencies.
He also appealed to the state government to provide more support and logistics to the security outfit to enable them to combat crime effectively.
He said that the suspects have been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution. He also said that the baby’s corpse has been taken to a mortuary for autopsy. He expressed his sympathy to the mother of the baby, who is yet to be identified.
