The Abia State Police Command says it has arrested the mysterious tenant who abducted four children of her co-tenants and rescued all the missing children.

In a late-night statement issued by the state Commissioner of Police, Kenechukwu Onwumelie, and signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka, the command said, “On December 16, 2023, one Mrs. Ifeanyi Udoma Ibe (female) of Ubakala Street, Ossai Road, Umuahia, reported the abduction of her children and her neighbours’ by an unidentified tenant.

“In response to the complaint, the Abia State Police Command commenced investigation into the incident.

“Leveraging robust technical intelligence support from the DSS in Abia State, on December 22, 2023, police detectives from Abia State Police Command successfully apprehended one Ifeoma Abonyi, a 35-year-old female in Asaba, Delta State.

“Ifeoma Abonyi has been identified as the hitherto unknown tenant responsible for the abduction of the four children on December 16, 2023.

“We are happy to inform the public that all the four missing children stolen on December 16, 2023, have now been rescued.

“Two of the children were rescued on December 22, 2023, while another two were rescued today, December 24, 2023.

“A total of eight suspects (five females and three males) are currently helping the police with the investigation into the crime.

“Three other persons suspected to be complicit in the crime are still at large. We are intensifying efforts to ensure their arrest soonest.

“Meanwhile, investigation is ongoing to determine the real status of six other children who were found in the custody of the arrested suspects.

“This might entail the conduct of DNA tests, as some of the suspects are claiming that the children are their biological offspring. We shall keep the public informed of the outcome of the investigation as soon as possible.”