A 17-year-old auto mechanic, Ornyagh Chia, who specialized in trafficking persons with chronic ailments, has confessed that he makes N20, 000 daily using sick captives to beg for money from members of the public.
According to Chia, he was introduced into the illicit trade by his master, Mr. John Chia of Lessel in Ushongo local government area of the state. He said that they would capture the victims and transport them to various parts of the country where they make them beg for money.
The suspect, alongside the two victims, Miss Blessing Tsoosu and one Mimidoo, was arrested by the police in Lagos State following a tip-off by the national coordinator of Hands That Care Foundation, Evangelist Jacinta Nworie.
It was learnt that the suspects were transferred to Benue, their state of origin, and handed over to the state police command, where the commissioner of police, CP Hyacinth Dagala paraded the suspect and the two victims.
According to Nworie, she saw the suspect with the victims who had swollen breast and stomach, at Ladipo market in Lagos State. She took the victims to a hospital in Festac town for medical experts to diagnose their ailment and further discovered that the victims were camped by the traffickers in Emota Paradise hotel in Ilasa area of Lagos.
The suspect said: “My name is Ornyagh Chia, 17. I am a mechanic and was introduced into this business by John Chia. We look for persons with serious physical ailment that would attract sympathy of the public and we transport them to Enugu, Lagos, Onitsa and other places to beg for money from people.”
“Like these girls with their breast and stomach swollen, we camped them in the hotel for one month and some weeks. We brought them from Gboko in Benue State and we had told them that whatever money realized from our outings would be used to carry medical operation for them. We make N10, 000 to N20, 000 daily but my boss is the one that holds the money.” Chia narrated.