The Bayelsa State Vigilante Service has apprehended a suspected ritualist, Ebere Nwosu over his alleged attempt to lure three minors along the popular Tombia-Etegwe roundabout axis of the state capital,Yenagoa.
The suspectThe 46-year-old suspect was apprehended after a close observation of his “unholy” interaction with the minors who were hawking sachets of water popularly known as pure water.
The operatives of the vigilante service, stationed at Tombia roundabout noticed that the suspect was engaging the minors; Rejoice Efe, 11 years and Success Obaru; 12 years from Delta State, in a conversation and making several phone calls to an unknown person.
After several minutes of observation from a distance, one of the vigilante operatives approached the suspect to ask what the problem was and why he held up the hawking activities of the kids and he took to his heels but was chased and arrested.
The Chairman of the Vigilante Service, Hon. Doubiye Alagba, confirmed the development, in an interview with journalists on Tuesday.
According to Hon. Doubiye, “Our men observed how the suspect had kept the three minors busy for several minutes and wondered what he was up to, it was at the point of his several calls and serious discussion with the three minors that we quickly asked one of our men to approach him, when he was approached by our member he immediately took to his heels and was caught after a hot chase.
“At first the suspect claimed to have been a native of Rivers State, but after series of investigation, he later confessed his real identity that he is from Imo State”.
According to Rejoice Efe, 11 years “we were hawking along the road only for this uncle to call us to buy water from us. We ran towards him and opened our bucket waiting for him to buy the pure water, he started making utterances first to my sister and asked me to wait.
“Before then, he started making several calls, we became scared and insisted that if he was not buying the water again, we should take our leave.
“He kept telling us to wait and was telling my sisters and I that he like us and will take care of us and how would he see us later. We became more scared and it was at that point that, one uncle came and asked him what he was telling us and he immediately started running and they caught him”.
The suspect, Ebere Nwosu, has been handed to the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Bayelsa Command for further investigation.
