The Bayelsa State Vigilante Service has apprehended a suspected ritualist, Ebere Nwosu, for allegedly attempting to lure three minors to harm them.

The incident occurred along the popular Tombia-Etegwe axis of the state capital, Yenagoa.

According to the operatives of the state vigilante service, the suspect was apprehended after a close observation of his “unholy” interaction with the minors who were hawking sachet water, known as ‘pure water’ in common parlance.

It was gathered that the operatives of the vigilante service, stationed at Tombia roundabout saw as the 46-year-old suspect was talking to the minors; two of whom were identified as Rejoice Efe, 11 and Success Obaru, 12, from Delta State. It was also noted that he was making phone calls as he was talking to the minors.

After an hour when one of the operatives approached the suspect to ask what the problem was, “he took to his heels”.

“He was chased and apprehended,” Chairman of the State Vigilante Service, Hon. Doubiye Alagba, said.

Doubiye said, “Our men observed how the suspect had kept the three minors busy for several minutes and wondered what he was up to, it was at the point of his several calls and serious discussion with the three minors that we quickly asked one of our men to approach him.

“When he was approached by our member, he immediately took to heels and was caught after a hot chase.”

One of the minors, Rejoice, said, “We were hawking along the road only for this uncle to call us to buy water from us. We ran towards him and opened our bucket waiting for him to buy the pure water. He started making utterances first to my sister and asked me to wait.

“Before then, he started making several calls, we became scared and insisted that if he was not buying the water again, we should take our leave.

“He kept telling us to wait and was telling me and my sisters that he liked us and would take care of us and asked how would he see us later. We became scared and it was at that point that one uncle came and asked him what he was telling us and he immediately started running and they caught him.”

The suspect, Ebere Nwosu, who has been handed over to the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Bayelsa Command for further investigation, denied that he was a ritualist and was planning to harm the minors.

He claimed he was drunk and did not know what he was doing at the time he was interacting with the minors.

Contacted on the development, the spokesman for the Bayelsa Police Command, Asinim Butswat confirmed the development, adding that the police had begun an investigation.