Police bust child-trafficking syndicate, recover 3 children in Ebonyi
The Police Command in Ebonyi says it has busted an alleged child-trafficking syndicate, arrested several suspects and recovered three children allegedly unlawfully handed over to prospective adopters.
The command said this in a statement its Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Joshua Ukandu, on Thursday in Abakaliki.
Ukandu said the breakthrough followed painstaking investigation into cases of child abduction and trafficking reported in the state.
It said the investigation began in May 2026 after Mrs Ngwe Ukamaka reported that her two children, a five-month-old boy and an 11 year-old girl, were allegedly abducted by persons who deceived her under the guise of marrying her.
According to the statement, Ukamaka was taken to Awgu, Enugu State, to meet her purported in-laws, where the children were taken away from her after she was allegedly asked to go and make her hair.
The command said that on Aug. 14, its operatives arrested four suspects identified as Agu Okechukwu, Ndidi Kenneth Nwanga, Ugonma Igwe and Alagba Chinyere over an alleged child-trafficking scheme.
Ukandu, said the suspects were allegedly involved in another case in which Mrs Oluchi Onah was deceived into believing that she was being taken to Enugu for employment.
He said Onah travelled to Enugu with her two year-old child, adding that Ndidi took custody of the child and directed Agu to take the woman to a place to have her hair done.
“Agu subsequently abandoned her and went to meet Ndidi where they finalised the handing over of the child to a woman,” Ukandu said.
He further said that on Aug. 12, Agu allegedly attempted to abduct another woman’s child using a similar strategy.
However, he said, the woman became suspicious and alerted the police, leading to his arrest and the subsequent arrest of his alleged accomplices.
Ukandu said further investigation led to the recovery of Onah’s child, who had since been reunited with the family.
It said the investigation also linked the suspects to the child abduction case reported by Ukamaka in May.
According to him, further information provided by the suspects led police operatives to Okigwe, Imo, , where Mrs Benedicta Umeh, also known as “Nwanyi Okigwe”, Obinna Nwankpa and Mmekadinma Oledibe were arrested.
A three year-old child was also recovered during the operation, he said.
“Preliminary investigation indicated that the child had allegedly been sold by Nwanyi Okigwe to Mmekadinma for the sum of N2.5 million,” Ukandu said.
The police said the arrest of the suspects led investigators to Favour Chukwu.
Chukwu allegedly provided information concerning the first complainant and her children, as well as the alleged abduction of another child in Isu, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
It said another suspect, Ugochukwu Nwankpa, was arrested, adding that preliminary investigation indicated that he and Favour allegedly took a child from Enugu and presented themselves as the child’s parents before social welfare officials.
The suspects reportedly claimed during interrogation that the child belonged to a mentally challenged woman in Enugu.
They allegedly told investigators that the woman’s food was laced with sleeping pills before the child was taken while she slept around the Holy Ghost area of Enugu.
The command also arrested two suspected accomplices, Ebere Anayo and Chinyere Nwakanma, identified as social welfare officers in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo.
According to Ukandu, preliminary investigation indicated that the duo allegedly facilitated the handing over of children to persons seeking to adopt or foster children.
He said further investigation on Sept. 27 led police operatives to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where Franca Omire was arrested and a baby boy allegedly abducted in May was recovered.
Ukandu quoted Omire as saying during preliminary interrogation that Umeh, alias Nwanyi Okigwe, told her that she operated an orphanage and worked with the welfare office in Obowo.
Omire allegedly disclosed that in July 2026, she paid N2.5 million and was subsequently given a document purportedly indicating that she had legally adopted the child.
The police said investigation was ongoing, with efforts intensified to recover the 11-year-old child allegedly abducted by the syndicate and handed over to another person.