From Joshua Chibuzo Andrew
The officers of the Imo State Police Command have recovered a 20- month old baby, Chimamanda Joy, stolen from her visually impaired mother, Joy Ekwennaya.
The visually impaired mother was deceitfully lured to Umuahia, Abia State wherein the baby was stolen from her and immediately sold for N1.5m, a statement by the police spokesperson in Imo state, Henry Okoye, disclosed.
The woman was said to had been lured to Umuahia by the suspects under the pretense of offering her financial help wherein the plot was to steal her child from her.
Okoye disclosed further that after the baby was stolen from her in Umuahia by a fake social worker, the infant was taken to Aba and immediately sold for N1.5m.
He informed that the operatives of X- Squad Unit of the command swung into action after the matter was reported by the visually impaired woman.
Okoye hinted that investigation led to the arrest of Maria Nwaeze (63) of Ariam Oboro and Rejoice Odimba (29) of Ahai Eke—both from Abia State, in Aba on May 23, 2025.
According to him, the arrests provided crucial insights into the syndicate’s modus operandi.
“Upon interrogation, the suspects provided actionable intelligence, leading to a follow-up operation in Aba. On 27th May 2025 at about 1700hrs, operatives rescued the stolen child and arrested another suspect, Chioma Theresa (42) of Aboh Mbaise, Imo State. During questioning, Chioma confessed to buying the child for ₦1,500,000 from Gabriel Amarachi (41) of Ngwa,Aba South, Abia State who had falsely posed as a Social Welfare officer.” Okoye added.
He said ” the Imo State Police Command, through the diligent efforts of its X-Squad Unit, has bursted a child-stealing syndicate, arresting four suspects and rescuing a 20-month-old girl, Chimamanda Joy—the daughter of 35-year-old visually impaired Mrs. Joy Ekwennaya from Amuri Omanze, Isu LGA.
“The breakthrough came after an intensive investigation into a case reported by Mrs. Ekwennaya on April 8th, 2025. She was deceitfully lured to Umuahia, Abia State, with false promises of financial aid from a fake charity—a ploy by the syndicate to abduct her child.
“Acting on credible intelligence, detectives of the unit arrested two key suspects—Maria Nwaeze (63) of Ariam Oboro and Rejoice Odimba (29) of Ahai Eke—both from Abia State, in Aba on 23rd May 2025. Their arrest provided crucial insights into the syndicate’s modus operandi.
“Upon interrogation, the suspects provided actionable intelligence, leading to a follow-up operation in Aba. On 27th May 2025 at about 1700hrs, operatives rescued the stolen child and arrested another suspect, Chioma Theresa (42) of Aboh Mbaise, Imo State. During questioning, Chioma confessed to buying the child for ₦1,500,000 from Gabriel Amarachi (41) of Ngwa,Aba South, Abia State who had falsely posed as a Social Welfare officer.
“Further investigation revealed that the entire scheme was masterminded by a woman identified as Precious and her husband, who are currently at large. The couple orchestrated the deceitful invitation that led Mrs. Ekwennaya to Aba, exploiting her vulnerability under the guise of offering assistance.
“Efforts are underway to arrest the remaining suspects. Meanwhile, the rescued infant has been medically examined and safely reunited with her mother on 28th May 2025 after due documentation.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, assures the public of the Command’s commitment to protecting vulnerable persons, especially children. He warns that there is no hiding place for criminals in Imo State and urges residents to stay vigilant and report suspicious activities through the Command’s emergency lines. Further updates will follow.”
