Police Bust Child-Trafficking Syndicate, Recover Three Children in Ebonyi

The Police Command in Ebonyi State says it has dismantled an alleged child-trafficking syndicate, arrested several suspects and recovered three children allegedly handed over unlawfully to prospective adopters.

This is according to a statement issued by the command's Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Joshua Ukandu, on Thursday in Abakaliki.

Ukandu said the breakthrough followed a painstaking investigation into reported cases of child abduction and trafficking in the state. The probe began in May 2026, after Mrs Ngwe Ukamaka reported that her two children — a five-month-old boy and an 11-year-old girl — had allegedly been abducted by persons who deceived her under the guise of a marriage proposal.

According to the statement, Ukamaka was taken to Awgu in Enugu State to meet her purported in-laws, where the children were taken from her after she was allegedly asked to leave to have her hair done.

The command said that on Aug. 14, its operatives arrested four suspects — Agu Okechukwu, Ndidi Kenneth Nwanga, Ugonma Igwe and Alagba Chinyere — in connection with an alleged child-trafficking scheme. Ukandu said the suspects were also allegedly involved in a separate case in which Mrs Oluchi Onah was deceived into believing she was being taken to Enugu for a job. He said Onah travelled to Enugu with her two-year-old child, after which Ndidi allegedly took custody of the child while Agu directed the woman to a location 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 added that on Aug. 12, Agu allegedly attempted to abduct another woman's child using a similar strategy, but the woman grew suspicious and alerted police, leading to his arrest and the subsequent arrest of his alleged accomplices. Further investigation led to the recovery of Onah's child, who has since been reunited with her family, and also linked the suspects to the case Ukamaka reported in May.

According to Ukandu, information from the suspects led police to Okigwe in Imo State, where Mrs Benedicta Umeh — also known as "Nwanyi Okigwe" — along with Obinna Nwankpa and Mmekadinma Oledibe were arrested. A three-year-old child was recovered during the operation. "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 arrests led investigators to Favour Chukwu, who 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. Another suspect, Ugochukwu Nwankpa, was arrested, with preliminary investigation indicating that he and Chukwu allegedly took a child from Enugu and presented themselves as the child's parents to social welfare officials.

The suspects reportedly claimed during interrogation that the child belonged to a mentally challenged woman in Enugu, and allegedly told investigators that the woman's food had been 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 State. Ukandu said preliminary investigation indicated that the pair allegedly facilitated the handover of children to persons seeking to adopt or foster them.

He said further investigation on Sept. 27 led 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 telling investigators during preliminary interrogation that Umeh had claimed to run an orphanage and to work with the welfare office in Obowo. Omire allegedly disclosed that in July 2026, she paid N2.5 million and was given a document purportedly showing she had legally adopted the child.

The police said investigations were ongoing, with efforts intensified to recover an 11-year-old child allegedly abducted by the syndicate and handed over to another person.