The family of a five-year-old girl who was sold to a couple in Asaba, Delta State, has accused the Ondo State Police Command of attempting to sweep the case under the carpet.

The family also accused the command of unlawfully arresting and detaining the mother of the victim, Mrs Nneka Onah, and her stepfather, Mr Ifeanyi Onah, over the matter.

The police command, in a statement issued last week by the Public Relations Officer, Mr Olayinka Ayanlade, had announced the rescue of the trafficked young girl in Asaba and confirmed the arrest of some suspects in connection with the case.

According to the police statement, their operation in Asaba led to the arrest of one Amaka Chukwuemeka, who was said to have confessed that she had purchased the child for a sum of N3.7m.

The family’s lawyer, Mr Tope Temokun, who spoke with PUNCH Metro in Akure on Sunday, alleged that the police statement on the matter misrepresented the sequence of events and that much vital information was omitted and suppressed crucial investigative leads, as well as excluded the names of people the investigation had already identified as culprits.

He also faulted the police statement for misrepresenting the child’s parentage by naming Sunday Kingsley and Sunday Happiness as her parents, accusing the state police command of having also shielded the principal accessory in the trafficking chain, one Vivian Ngozi, saying the police had allegedly been covering up the truth about the case.

The lawyer said, “The police statement falsely named Kingsley Sunday and Happiness Sunday as the parents of the child. This is not true. The victim is the biological daughter of Mrs Nneka Onah and the stepdaughter of Mr Ifeanyi Onah. Witnesses and documents confirm this fact. By erasing the true complainants, the police are protecting the very people who should be under investigation.”

Temokun argued that rather than focusing on prosecuting those behind the crime, the command had allegedly resorted to intimidation and victim-blaming of his client’s family members, adding that the command had been shielding one Happiness Sunday, who had been identified as the main suspect, and revealed to be the last person seen with the kidnapped child.

“We are shocked that instead of protecting the victims, the police are now shielding suspects and oppressing the child’s real parents. This deliberate misrepresentation erases the true complainants from the narrative, thereby concealing critical leads in the investigation.

“As we speak, Mrs Nneka Onah (mother of the victim) and her husband are being held unlawfully in police custody. These are victims, not suspects. Their only crime is seeking justice for their stolen child. This unlawful detention is a deliberate attempt to intimidate and silence them,” he stated.

However, the police spokesman in the state, Olayinka Ayanlade, denied the allegations, saying the command was being professional about the matter and that nobody was unlawfully arrested or detained among the suspects.

The PPRO said, “The allegation was untrue. The police command had been very professional about this matter. The family was just being mischievous about it. No matter what will be swept under the carpet in this case, and I can tell you that all those involved in the case will be made to face the law.”(PUNCH)