Police arrest child trafficker, rescues victims in Anambra

The Anambra State Police Command has detained a suspect (name withheld), believed to be part of a gang involved in trafficking children from Nigeria to neighboring countries such as Ghana and the Benin Republic.

In a press statement released on Wednesday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, provided details on the arrest. He explained that the suspect was apprehended in response to concerns raised by the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Itam, regarding the rising number of missing persons reports in the state.

Ikenga stated, “The Anambra Police Command has in custody a suspect (name withheld), who is linked to a gang specializing in trafficking children aged 13 to 16 to countries like Ghana and Benin Republic.”

The arrest was prompted by the Commissioner of Police’s alarm over the surge in missing persons cases, particularly in areas such as Okpoko and Onitsha. CP Nnaghe Itam had instructed police operatives to address and curb these criminal activities.

According to Ikenga, the victim of child trafficking has been safely returned to Nigeria from Accra, Ghana, and has been debriefed.

The suspect is now being interrogated at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka. The investigation aims to uncover additional victims and apprehend other members of the trafficking network.