The children, who are between the ages of four and seven, comprise 14 boys and nine girls.
Mary was paraded along with other suspects on Monday at the State Police Command headquarters in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
The Police Public Relations Officer, David Misal, told reporters that the suspect was intercepted with the kids at a park in Bali Local Government Area of the state while they were about to board a vehicle.
He revealed that the 23 children have been handed over to the Ministry of Social Welfare in the state.
Misal added that seven parents of some of the children have been arrested in connection with the crime while investigation was ongoing to apprehend others.
On her part, the suspect claimed that the children were given to her by their parents to help get those in need of children to take care of them.
“The parents of the children told me to come get them for people who would help cater to their educational needs because, in their villages, there are no schools.
“This is actually the first time I am doing this, and I did not collect any money from their parents,” Mary claimed.
She added, “I am a mother of seven, a teacher at Adamu Primary School in Bali LGA. I am 45 years and was arrested at the car park in Bali when I was about leaving with the children.”
The Police Public Relations Officer also paraded seven members of a kidnap syndicate terrorising residents in parts of the state.
He disclosed that the suspects engaged the police in a gun duel following the kidnap of one Tashi Abba who was abducted from his residence.
In the course of fire exchange, according to Misal, the police killed a notorious kidnapper identified as Isa Passion and recovered one single barrel gun.
He also paraded eight suspected armed robbers and a syndicate of car snatchers said to have stolen 30 vehicles in Jalingo.
All the suspects confessing to committing the crimes they were accused of.
Tags
Crime