By CHARLES IWUOHA

A self acclaimed Corps member aged about 40 years identified as Miss Blessing Francis has forcefully taken away two primary school children at Nwezenyi junction of Ndiokpoto village in Igbeagu community, Izzi LGA of Ebonyi state.

According to findings, the woman secured accommodation at the family compound of Mr Francis Nwankwuda last week Sunday where she introduced herself as a newly posted Corper before kidnapping little Miss Chinaza Nwachukwu and Ngozi Nwibo who are her neighbor of age 7 and 5 years respectively.

Investigation carried by News Express revealed that the children, Miss Chinaza Nwachukwu is a Primary 2 pupil at Divine Grace Academy and Ngozi Nwibo is a Primary 1 pupil at Nwezenyi Junction School Igbeagu-Izzi.

Narrating the incident, one of the victims’ mother, Mrs Precious Uzoamaka Nwachukwu, said that the suspect dressed on white T-shirt and black leggings and came to their compound and paid a rent of one of their rooms to the landlord, Mr Francis Nwankwuda.

She stated that after the abductor introduced herself as a newly posted Corps member in the area, was shown a room and she paid for six months.

Mrs Uzoamaka added that the acclaimed Corps member hurriedly brought in Hausa mat, an empty bucket and some yards of carpet and quickly decorated her room.

“After she introduced herself as a Corps member and secured the room, she made the necessary transaction with my landlord.

“I called her and tried to know her full details as a neighbor, but being a criminal, she was not opening up as suppose despite my much persuasion when she simply told me that she was an Indigene of Abia state but married to Afikpo man from Ebonyi State.”

She further narrated that on returning from work the following day, she left for Nwezenyi junction market around 6:00 PM for a little shopping only to come back to discover that the acclaimed Corper had disappeared with little Miss Chinaza and Ngozi.

The distressed mother also stated that the cash transaction carried out by the suspect at a known Point of Sales (PoS) revealed a different name, bearing Mrs Orji Nta adding that her family had reported the matter at Iboko Police Divisional Headquarters.

Another victim's mother, Mrs Nkechinyere Nwibo explained that the abductor pretended to be a good citizen as she gathered children living in the yard and allowed them to watch movies with her smart phone.

“The following day that she packed in, she gathered children living in the yard and allowed them watch movies with her phone and there's no premonition of such evil intention from us until she perfected her plans and asked our children to escort her for shopping at the nearby Nwezenyi junction market.

“As a Corps member, you don't suspect that she will do such a thing and that convince us to allow our children to be playing with her even joining her to show her where to buy some items in the nearby Nwezenyi junction market.”

On his part, the uncle to one of the missing children, Mr Fred Akpatu, said that they had gone to the Corpers Lodge in the area and found out that the suspect's two names (Blessing Francis and Orji Nta) could not be traced in the NYSC register.

Meanwhile, Nwezenyi Ndiokpoto village head, Chief Egbe Aka, confirmed the report and stated that the landlord is currently in Police custody over the matter as investigation is ongoing.

Chief Aka appealed to the general public to unveil to the police any useful information that would led to the arrest of the woman while warning house owners against giving their rooms without proper information from their tenants.

Update news