The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested the General Overseer of the Wells of Salvation Church, Byazhin Across, Pastor Prince Bassey Ajah, alongside his brother and two other accomplices, over the alleged trafficking of two children.
The police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, in a statement on Sunday, said the suspects were apprehended following a distress call from officials at Wazobia Motor Park in Abuja at about 2:00 a.m. on May 24, 2025.
The officials had flagged suspicious behaviour by a man attempting to travel to Owerri, Imo State, with a minor.
The suspect, identified as Isreal Ajah, was arrested at the scene by the police emergency response team with a seven-year-old boy in his custody.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the child had been handed over to the suspect by his elder brother, Pastor Prince Bassey Ajah,” the police statement read.
“Pastor Ajah was promptly arrested along with two accomplices — Nancy Atoo and Deaconess Vera Duru.”
A subsequent search at the residence of Nancy Atoo led to the rescue of a second child, a four-year-old girl identified only as Mercy, a name given by the suspects.
No documentation was found to ascertain her identity, and she has since been placed in protective custody as efforts continue to trace her biological family.
Meanwhile, the seven-year-old boy, identified as Muktar Hassan, has been reunited with his family.
SP Adeh further disclosed that the suspects had confessed to plans to sell the children in Owerri. Muktar was to be sold for ₦1.2 million, with Deaconess Duru allegedly facilitating the arrangement.
The Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, lauded the vigilance of the motor park officials whose alertness helped foil the trafficking attempt.
He also advised parents and guardians to refrain from sending young children on errands or journeys alone.
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