...rescue 11 children in Anambra
The Anambra State Police Command says it has arrested a 43-year-old woman suspected of operating within a syndicate involved in interstate child trafficking.
Spokesman of the command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, confirming that the suspect was apprehended at Uruagu, Nnewi North Local Government Area.
Ikenga said the arrest followed a joint intelligence-driven operation between the Anambra and Adamawa State Police Commands, which also led to the rescue of 11 trafficked children—five boys and six girls—aged between three and six.
He explained that preliminary investigations revealed the children were abducted from Adamawa and sold to unsuspecting individuals in Anambra under the guise of adoption, with the girls priced at N800,000 and the boys at N1.5 million.
“The suspect is believed to be a major link in a trafficking network that steals and trades children across state lines,” Ikenga stated.
He noted that the rescued children had been handed over to ACP Shuaibu Wara, who led the Adamawa police team, for safe return to their families.
According to him, efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate based on information extracted from the suspect in custody.
Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Ikioye Orutugu, commended the synergy between the two commands and the professionalism of the operatives involved in the operation.
Orutugu assured of continued collaboration with other commands and relevant agencies to dismantle trafficking rings nationwide, while advising prospective adoptive parents to follow legal processes and verify sources to avoid becoming complicit in child trafficking.
Dear readers, we really need your support to keep on serving you with authoritative, truthful, and juicy stories everyday. For your support, please reach out to the editor @gavelinternational66@gmail.com