The Anambra State Police Command has apprehended six individuals, including a woman and her two brothers, for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and trafficking of a three-year-old boy taken from Umusiome, Nkpor Uno, in Idemili North Local Government Area and sold in Lagos State.
In a statement on Sunday in Awka, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed that the child was safely rescued in Lagos and has been reunited with his family in good health.
Ikenga stated that the arrests followed a complaint from the boy’s family after the mother discovered that both her son and a female neighbor, whom she had entrusted him to, were missing from their home in Umusiome.
“Following a petition received on September 4, operatives attached to the Gender Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Awka, launched an intensive investigation which led to the arrest of the neighbour,” Ikenga said.
He added that the neighbour’s confession led to the subsequent arrest of her mother and two younger brothers, who were also implicated in the child trafficking network.
According to Ikenga, further investigation extended to Enugu State, where two additional suspects were apprehended for facilitating the movement of the abducted child to Lagos.
“The operatives later proceeded to Lagos State, where another suspect was arrested and the child recovered safely,” he stated.
Ikenga confirmed that all six suspects are currently in police custody and will be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Ikioye Orutugu, reiterated the command’s determination to clamp down on all forms of criminal activity in the state.
He warned criminal elements to steer clear of Anambra, emphasizing that the police remain fully committed to protecting lives and property and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice.