In a major breakthrough against child trafficking, operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have rescued eleven children and arrested a key suspect believed to be a central figure in an interstate child trafficking syndicate operating between Adamawa and Anambra States.
The successful operation, carried out on July 15, 2025, was the result of a collaborative intelligence-led investigation between the Anambra State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Awka, and the Adamawa State Police Command.
According to the Anambra Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, a 43-year-old woman identified as Uche Okoye was arrested in Uruagu, Nnewi. She was found in possession of eleven trafficked children five boys and six girls aged between 3 and 6 years.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the children were stolen from Adamawa State and sold to unsuspecting individuals under the guise of illegal adoption. The children were reportedly priced at ₦1.5 million for each boy and ₦800,000 for each girl.
The rescued minors have since been handed over to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Shuaibu Wara, who led the Adamawa team, for onward transfer and efforts to reunite them with their biological families.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Ikioye Uche Orutugu, commended the professionalism and diligence of the operatives involved, particularly the Adamawa Police Command.
He reaffirmed the command’s resolve to clamp down on child trafficking rings and ensure that all involved face the full weight of the law.
In a stern warning to the public, CP Orutugu urged individuals and couples seeking to adopt children to go through the proper legal channels and avoid unregulated adoptions that could implicate them in criminal activity.
Investigations are ongoing as police work on leads provided by the suspect to arrest other members of the trafficking network.