The Abia Police Command on Sunday said it has rescued all four missing children allegedly stolen in Umuahia.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Maureen Chinaka, disclosed this in a statement to newsmen on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that one of the mothers had earlier reported the alleged abduction by an unidentified tenant to the police on December 16.

The children belonging to three different parents were identified as Joy Udoma, 3, (female), Ogbonna Udoma, 6, (male), Chioma Kingsley, 5, (female) and Miracle Ikechukwu, 5, (female).

However, Chinaka stated that two of the children were rescued on December 22, while another two were rescued on Sunday.

She said the police successfully apprehended one Ifeoma Abonyi, a 35-year-old woman in Asaba, Delta State, who had been identified as the hitherto unknown tenant responsible for the abduction of the four children.

The PPRO revealed that a total of eight suspects, including five women and three men were currently helping with investigation into the crime.

According to her, three other people suspected to be complicit in the crime are still at large.

"We are intensifying efforts to ensure their arrest soonest.

"Meanwhile, investigation is ongoing to determine the real status of the six other children that were found in the custody of the arrested suspects.

"This might entail the conduct of DNA tests, as some of the suspects are claiming that the children are their biological offspring," she stated.

Chinaka assured that the outcome of the investigation would be made open as soon as possible. (NAN)