By Mike Osarogiagbon
Eleven months after, Monday, June 4, 2018 remains fresh in the memory of both old and young residents of Utese and Egbeta villages in Ovia North East local government area of Edo State.
Many wish it never came and hopeful that time will rewrite the dark chapter that day added to their pleasant aged-long communities history, and that of Osaruonamen family whose two children Amanda, 4 and her sibling Christabel, 2 disappeared from their home at Utese village after they returned from school.
Their parents were said to be away for few hours leaving them in the custody of two tenants, Mary Paul and Mercy when they disappeared last June.
It was learnt that when the couple Mr Edosa Osaruonamen and his wife Faith raised the alarm on the disappearance of their children about 6pm that fateful day, the entire Utese village and its neighbour Egbeta were in disarray.
Some mothers quickly withdrew their children from outside, the village market square and recreation centres known for economic and social activities were immediately deserted.
Since it was a strange occurrence in the village, no one could immediately fathom what actually happened to the two little sisters until an old woman said the children were sighted with their father’s tenants walking towards the express road in the community.
Then, some gallant youths of Utese swiftly constituted search parties which combed uncompleted buildings and surrounding bushes as the father of the children one Edosa Osaruonamen approached Okada Police Divisional Headquarters to formally lodge the report.
Thereafter, photographs of the children were circulated to commercial drivers, spiritualists, and hunters in the area.
The traditional head of Utese HRH Idahosa Agidigbi was said to have mobilized his subjects including Utese village elders, women and his palace chiefs to seek the intervention of their ancestors in finding the children.
Set of virgins were also said to had embarked on nude parade round some parts of the community to draw the attention of the gods to their plight.
Dreaded deities in Usen town it was gathered, were summoned and sacrifices offered so that the children would resurface. Thereafter, arsenals of spiritual missiles assembled in different shrines within and outside the locality were launched after the perpetrators.
The media also played viable role in ensuring that the unfortunate incident received desirable attention.
Several months after, the families of the missing children started trading accusations.
Notable among the allegations was that a paternal relative of the children one Amalawa Michael, 23, and his friend Stanley were accused by the family of the mother of the children of using them for money ritual.
On the receipt of the petition, the police were said to have arrested and detained them for two weeks before they were arraigned and remanded in prison for months.
Investigation revealed that the climax of the accusations is what now appears to be irreconcilable differences that has tore the couple apart.
Investigators at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CIID), mandated to investigate the case at the beginning became clueless at a point, prompting the then commissioner of police CP Johnson Kokumo to redirect the case file to the Anti-kidnapping and Cyber Crime Unit at the command headquarters headed by SP Balogun Richard, for hi-tech driven investigation.
On Thursday, May 23, 2019 the efforts appear to be paying off as the police command paraded before journalists seven women alleged to be members of a syndicate specialized in stealing, selling and buying of children.
With the suspects was Christabel Osaruonamen, one of the two children reportedly stolen at Utese village in June 4, 2019.
Briefing journalists on the arrest, the Public Relations Officer for Edo State Police Command DSP Chidi Nwabuzor disclosed that the child was found and the suspects apprehended through painstaking investigation.
He explained that one Mary Paul who was a tenant of the parents of Amanda and Christabel at Utese village stole the children and handed them over to Joy Odey, 33, in Ondo State.
DSP Nwabuzor stated that Joy Odey took the children to Onitsha where they were sold to one Rita Eze, 49, at N450, 000.00 for Christabel and N300, 000.00 for Amanda, totalling N750, 000.00.
“Investigation was immediately extended to Anambra State where Rita Eze was apprehended, on interrogation she admitted buying the two kids and resold Amanda to Uju Favour, 35, while Christabel was resold to one Ogechi Ejike, 33.
“Uju Favour was later arrested at Asaba in Delta State. She confessed selling Amanda to a woman at Ogwua-shukwu in Delta State as it was however discovered that the woman in Ogwua-shukwu died without tangible trace of Amanda”.
Speaking further the police spokesman revealed that went ahead and arrested Ogechi Ejike in Afam Community in Rivers State as on interrogation she confessed to have resold Christabel to one Comfort Dike John who runs an orphanage in Okigwe in Imo State.
DSP Nwabuzor added that investigators moved to Imo State where Comfort Dike John was apprehended and confessed to have also resold Christabel to one Anioke Augustina, 48, at N850, 000.00.
The orphanage operator however told police that she was able to sell Christabel with the assistance and conspiracy of Glory Onuodu, 38, Okeke Chinyere, 39, Akubor Evangelina, 38, and Ifeoma Adindu, 40.
“Investigation was immediately extended to Enugu State on May 20, 2019 through May 21, 2019 where the conspirators to sell Christabel and her buyer were arrested and Christabel recovered in the costudy of Anioke Augustina who claimed she adopted the child without due process.
“Meanwhile, Joy Odey, Rita Eze and Uju Favour are already in court and remanded in Benin prison while Mary Paul is in Ondo State Prison facing different case of child stealing.
“The other suspects will be arraigned accordingly as we continue search for possible recovery of Amanda”. DSP Nwabuzor explained.
Narrating how she took custody of Christabel, Anioke Augustina said her friends whom she informed to help her get a genuine child to adopt took her to the orphanage where she paid N850, 000.00 to the woman who runs the orphanage before she was allowed to take full custody of the child.
“My name is Anioke Augustina, I am a civil servant with the university of Nigeria, Enugu campus, I am a senior executive officer of non-academic staff of the institution.
“I have been married for 20 years. I have just two children (11 and 18 years old). I did not steal or know of stealing any baby. I was looking for a baby to adopt because my children are all in school. I needed a baby to stay with me.
“I told some close persons in my street that I need a place where I can officially adopt a baby not road side adoption, and that it must be governent approved. So I was directed to an orphanage.
“When I got there I saw a big signboard, after everything they wrote on it was Government Approved in bracket. I was convinced that it is genuine.
“When I went in I saw this woman (Comfort Dike John) with other kids. I asked her whether they are all for adoption, she said no and that only one is for adoption. Then I asked since others are not for adoption because there parents were around how did you get this one for adoption?
“She said a prostitute abandoned her somewhere at birth and ever since she has been nurturing her. Then I asked about the age she said she would be three by November last year.
“Thereafter, I asked her how much will I pay to adopt the baby. She said N850, 000.00 because all this time she had been nurturing her she has been spending money and that other babies in the centre also need help.
“I pleaded with her to reduce the amount but she said no, so I paid N850, 000.00. They gave me a certificate.
“From there I took the baby straight to hospital because the baby was so sick. I told the doctor that I don’t have any information about the child because I just adopted the baby and that he should just treat her.
“I went to Ministry of Gender Affaires to obtain a letter but was told that the new commissioner had changed the process.
“Initially if you adopt a child you go to the ministry to authenticate it but the new commissioner said adoption should be through the ministry not the other way round.
“I asked them what to do because I wanted the baby to be legally mine. They said except I know people at the top.
“I wanted to go for IVF it was too much for me. My monthly salary is N110, 000.00 from it I saved the N850, 000.00 for the baby’s adoption. That is what made me to go into all this mess”. Anioke Augustina explained.
The orphanage operator madam Comfort Dike John who should be above 70 years said the child was brought to her by one Ogechi Ejike, 33.
“My name is Comfort Dike John from Okere-gwe in Imo State. I have been running orphanage for over six years. I cannot remember the name now.
“I was in my orphanage when Ogechi Ejike with another woman brought the child (Christabel). Both of them were crying. I was disturbed by their tears and I asked them to tell why they were crying.
“The woman said she is the baby’s aunt and that the baby’s parents recently died in a ghastly motor accident and their corpses are in the mortuary.
“As a human being I started crying also. She further said that she is a widow as she cannot take care of the baby along with her own children.
“The two women begged me to keep the child and give her to anyone who can take proper care of the baby.
“I asked Ogechi is it genuine because I don’t want trouble, Ogechi said that is the question.
“Ogechi collected the money from the woman (Anioke Augustine) and gave me N700, 000.00. I gave her the baby”. Madam Comfort Dike John narrated.
Other suspects arrested in connection with the crime narrated their roles as some of them claimed not to be aware that baby Christabel was stolen from her family residence at Utese village in Ovia North East local government area of Edo State.
Though baby Christabel was reunited with her biological family without her elder sister Amanda at the state police command headquarters in Benin City on May 23, 2019 it was a mixed feeling for her family, friends, neighbours and the entire Utese Community.
Last weekend, our Crime Reporter MIKE OSAROGIAGBON visited the baby Christabel Osaruonamen, her now separated parents and the house where she and her elder sister Amanda were stolen by their father’s tenants on June 4, 2018.
Utese village which is about 50 kilometres from Benin City and less than four kilometres after Okada town the administrative headquarters of Ovia North East local government area of the state.
Father of the children Mr Edosa Osaruonamen, 28, his mother, madam Emwinghama Susan, 53, baby Christabel and friends were in joyful mood when our reporter arrived their residence at a yet-to-be numbered building on an unnamed lane, Off Surulere Street, Off Oba Market Street, Utese village, where they were stolen.
Mr Edosa Osaruonamen narrated all that transpired.
“About 8 o’clock in the morning of June 4, 2018, I went to farm leaving my wife, Faith and my three children Divine, 8, Amanda, 4, and Christabel, 2, at home.
“Few weeks before that day two girls, Rose and Mercy, came, they claimed to be farmers looking for accommodation, since I have free rooms in the house I gave them one.
“They were with a Ghana-Must-Go bag. I have never seen them around before. So because of our open deposition my family accepted them.
“Within the three weeks they lived in the house they ate from our pot, used my wife’s clothes, water. They sometimes assisted my wife to prepare my children for school and led to a taxi that took them in school every morning.
“They related with other neighbours to the extent that some other women left their children in their custody while away from the neighborhood”. So nobody knew they had criminal motives.
“When I returned about 6 o’clock in the evening, I met my wife and my first daughter Divine at home. Where Amanda and Christabel? I asked my wife who said she left them with our tenants Rose and Mercy who were just three weeks old in our house.
“I told my wife to go and get my children that I want to see them. She went and return to say she could not find them. That was how we started looking for them.
“My friends, youths, everybody joined us, we search the bushes went to the express. Somebody said she saw them with the my tenants Rose and Mercy going towards the express.
“I came back home, forced their door opened. I saw only carpet and empty Ghana-Must-Go bag. They just inflated the bag to make it look as if things were inside.
“I went to Okada Police Station that night. The DPO said I should wait for 24hours. I later went to state CID in Benin City.
“The first suspect was arrested inside Adebayo University in Ondo State. When I was returning from Ondo State with the police I received a call that my brother Amalawa has been arrested.
“When I got home my mother told me that my wife’s family told the police that my brother used the children for money ritual as he was planning to go to Ghana with his friend.
“Police at Okada beat my brother. I told them to take him to state CID in Benin so that the police handling the case will interrogate him. The following night they arrested his friend Stanley.
“At state CID the girl they arrested in Ondo State said she does not know my brother and his friend but she gave information that lead to other arrests.
“My brother and his friend were charged to court and remanded but released after two months.
“Later one of my tenants Mercy was arrested in Ore, it was also discovered that she stole some children in Aboukuta in Ogun State.
“So that is how police have been using her to get others till my daughter Christabel was found”. Mr Edosa stated.
FINANCIAL CHALLENGES
With the assistance of my mother, sisters and friends I took loan. I sold my lorry at N1.8m. I have spent over N3.8m so far and I am still spending. The OC Anti-kidnapping at Police Command Headquarters has assisted me a lot.
WHAT PROPELS HIM
“I was accused of using my children for rituals. My wife’s family said we used the children to make blood money. I was dragged to shrines and deities to swear that I don’t have a hand in the disappearance of my two children. love my children. I love seeing them around. So first I needed to prove that I and my family are innocent of those allegations”.
LESSON LEARNED/ADVICE
“Landlords and landladies should be careful with those they let their houses. Mothers should be unnecessarily careless with the custody of their children.
“The incident prompted me to take my first daughter Divine to a boarding school. This one Christabel will soon join there soonest.
“Their mother left few days after the children were declared stolen. She is living with her parents”. He stated.
Our reporter located the children’s mother in her family residence at 5, Chief Obamendo Street, Egbeta village, Ovia North East local government area of Edo State.
“My name is Faith Agbonifo, 27, I am the mother of Divine, Amanda and Christabel Osaruonamen.
“On June 4, 2018 my husband said he was going to Benin. About 12noon when my children returned from school I served them food including Rose, Mercy and other children in the house.
“Mercy was receiving and making calls intermmitently, I later discovered that my mother-in-law locked the well. So I told Rose and Mercy that I was going to the river and that they should help me look after Amanda and Christabel.
“I went with my eldest daughter Divine, when we finished watching I returned home about 4pm. I went back to the river again so when I returned about 6pm my husband demanded to see his children. That was how we started looking for them.
“Few days later my husband family started accusing of throwing my children away and they threatened to deal with me should I be found around their house. So I decided to stay with my parents”. The mother of the children explained.
On whether the couple would reconcile any time soon, both families said no as their major concern now is finding the other stolen child Amanda.
“I was accused of using my children for rituals. My wife’s family said we used the children to make blood money. I was dragged to shrines and deities to swear that I don’t have a hand in the disappearance of my two children. love my children. I love seeing them around. So first I needed to prove that I and my family are innocent of those allegations”.
LESSON LEARNED/ADVICE
“Landlords and landladies should be careful with those they let their houses. Mothers should be unnecessarily careless with the custody of their children.
“The incident prompted me to take my first daughter Divine to a boarding school. This one Christabel will soon join there soonest.
“Their mother left few days after the children were declared stolen. She is living with her parents”. He stated.
Our reporter located the children’s mother in her family residence at 5, Chief Obamendo Street, Egbeta village, Ovia North East local government area of Edo State.
“My name is Faith Agbonifo, 27, I am the mother of Divine, Amanda and Christabel Osaruonamen.
“On June 4, 2018 my husband said he was going to Benin. About 12noon when my children returned from school I served them food including Rose, Mercy and other children in the house..
“Mercy was receiving and making calls intermmitently, I later discovered that my mother-in-law locked the well. So I told Rose and Mercy that I was going to the river and that they should help me look after Amanda and Christabel.
“I went with my eldest daughter Divine, when we finished watching I returned home about 4pm. I went back to the river again so when I returned about 6pm my husband demanded to see his children. That was how we started looking for them.
“Few days later my husband family started accusing of throwing my children away and they threatened to deal with me should I be found around their house. So I decided to stay with my parents”. The mother of the children explained.
On whether the couple would reconcile any time soon, both families said no as their major concern now is finding the other stolen child Amanda.
