A collaborative police operation between the Anambra and Adamawa State Commands has led to the arrest of a suspected child trafficker and the rescue of eleven children from an alleged interstate trafficking ring.
The Anambra State Police Command, through its Criminal Investigation Department in Awka, confirmed on Friday that officers apprehended a 43-year-old woman, identified as Uche Okoye, in Nnewi on July 15. The suspect is believed to be a central figure in a child trafficking syndicate operating across state lines.
The operation, which was driven by intelligence and coordinated with officers from the Adamawa State Police Command, resulted in the recovery of eleven children, five boys and six girls, aged between three and six years. The children were discovered in Uruagu, a community in Nnewi North Local Government Area.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the children had been abducted from various locations in Adamawa State and were allegedly sold to unsuspecting individuals seeking to adopt. Reports indicate that the boys were being trafficked for N1.5 million each, while the girls were sold for N800,000.
“The suspect is helping us with credible information that will aid in apprehending other members of the syndicate,” said SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Anambra State Command, in an interview with reporters.
According to the police, the rescued children have since been handed over to ACP Shuaibu Wara, who led the Adamawa investigation team. Efforts are currently underway to trace their biological families and reunite the minors with their parents.
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Speaking on the development, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Ikioye Uche Orutugu, commended the synergy between the two police commands, describing the breakthrough as a “testament to what security agencies can achieve through collaboration and intelligence-sharing.”
“I want to commend the Adamawa Police Command for their professionalism and dedication to duty,” Orutugu stated. “This operation is a clear warning to those involved in child trafficking that their days are numbered.”
He also cautioned the public, particularly couples seeking to adopt children, to follow due process and avoid falling into the trap of illegal adoption networks.
“Child adoption should follow legal channels,” the Commissioner said. “Anyone trying to cut corners may unknowingly become complicit in criminal activities such as trafficking.”
The Anambra Police Command has vowed to continue working with relevant stakeholders to dismantle trafficking networks and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
