Two stolen kids that were rescued by the Cross River State
Police Command on Thursday said they were made sex slaves by a
herbalist, Emmanuel Akpan-Okon, who held them hostage for four years.
The
kids, Esther Wisdom and Felicia Destiny, both aged 11, said in the four
years that they were held hostage, the herbalist raped them almost
every day.
Akpan-Okon (42) was arrested by the police following a
tip-off that he specialized in the preparation of charms for armed
robbers.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Henry Fadairo,
said the rescued kids were abducted from their parents separately from
Onitsha, Anambra State, and Auchi, Edo State.
He said, “On
November 16, 2015, we raided one Emmanuel Akpan’s home in Akamkpa, in
the Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, based on a
tip-off. We gathered he was into the preparation of charms for armed
robbers and treatment of criminals with bullet wounds.
“During
the raid, we saw two little girls in his house. One is Esther Wisdom and
the other, Felicia Destiny. They are both 11 years. On enquiry, we
found out that they were abducted four years ago. Wisdom was stolen from
Onitsha while Destiny was stolen from Auchi.
“We are making
efforts to see how we can locate their parents. The victims claimed that
he had been having regular sex with them.”
Destiny said she was in primary four when she was abducted, adding that the herbalist had raped her many times.
She
said, “I was in primary four when he took me away from my home. I
remember that my mother lost her sister and when she was going for the
burial, she told the man, who was a commercial motorcycle rider, to
bring me to her village. That was how I found myself living with him. I
used to tell him that I did not like sex, but he continued.”
Also,
Wisdom said, “He has been having sex with us regularly. He gives us
food to eat and promises that one day he will take us back to our
mothers.”
Akpan-Okon, who is from Akwa Ibom State, said he abducted the girls because their mothers could not cater for them.
He
said, “While staying in the same compound with Wisdom’s mother at
Onitsha, I observed that she had problems bringing up her nine children.
This girl, Wisdom, was always with me when I was staying in their
compound. So, when I wanted to leave Onitsha, I took her with me without
telling her mother.
“When I left Onitsha with her, I went to
Auchi, and was riding a commercial motorcycle as a means of livelihood.
Where I stayed in Auchi, Destiny was always coming to play with Esther. I
also noticed that Destiny’s mother had many children. So, when I wanted
to leave the town, I took her along.
“I had sex with them and I
know it is bad in the sight of God. I have a girl child who is with the
mother. I will not be happy if she is treated this way.”