By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has recorded another major breakthrough in its fight against human trafficking, following the arrest of a suspected female child trafficker and the rescue of no fewer than eleven children in Nnewi.
The development, which came as part of an intelligence-led operation carried out by officers of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, in synergy with their counterparts from the Adamawa State Police Command, marks another significant step in dismantling a dangerous inter-state child abduction and trafficking network operating across Nigeria.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the operation, which took place on July 15, 2025, led to the arrest of a 43-year-old woman identified as Uche Okoye, believed to be a key figure in the syndicate that specializes in abducting and selling minors.
SP Ikenga said acting on actionable intelligence, officers stormed Uruagu, a community in Nnewi, where they discovered and rescued eleven children (comprising five boys and six girls) ranging between the ages of three and six years.
According to him, preliminary findings revealed that the children were abducted from Adamawa State and trafficked to Anambra, where they were being sold to unsuspecting members of the public under the guise of adoption. Boys were reportedly sold for ₦1,500,000, while girls were sold for ₦800,000 by the traffickers. He said the rescued children have been handed over to ACP Shuaibu Wara, the team leader of the visiting officers from the Adamawa State Police Command, for the necessary procedures aimed at reuniting them with their biological parents.
The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Uche Orutugu, has commended the operatives involved in the success of the operation, particularly the Adamawa Police Command, for what he described as their professional coordination and swift investigative response.
CP Orutugu further assured the public of his Command’s resolve to collaborate with security and sister agencies across the country to uproot all criminal syndicates, especially those dealing in the inhumane business of child trafficking.
He also issued a stern warning to members of the public, especially couples or individuals seeking to adopt children, to steer clear of illegal channels and ensure that all adoption processes are conducted strictly through legal and government-approved procedures. According to him, ignorance is no excuse for partaking in a crime as grievous as child trafficking, adding that the law would spare no one found culpable.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Police Command has confirmed that the suspect is currently aiding further investigations aimed at identifying and apprehending other members of the syndicate, with a view to bringing them to justice and putting an end to the heinous operations of the network.
This latest breakthrough adds to the growing list of strategic successes recorded under the leadership of CP Ikioye Uche Orutugu, whose tenure has so far seen increased crackdowns on violent crimes, kidnappings, cultism, and now, human trafficking.
