A total of 16 children believed to be victims of trafficking have been rescued from their abductors in the Osuoha area of Port Harcourt.
The incident gained widespread attention after a video surfaced on social media, appealing for assistance in locating the children’s parents for identification.
Although the Rivers State Police Command has not yet issued an official statement, and efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer have been unsuccessful, investigations have provided some insight into the situation.
According to a senior police source, who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak on the matter, a disturbance occurred at a compound in Ozuoba when two women, suspected to be part of a human trafficking syndicate, were arrested by plainclothes operatives from an undisclosed security agency. These women had been serving as guardians to the children until their arrest.
The children, distressed by the situation, contributed to the chaos, prompting the Divisional Police Officer from the Ozuoba division to take them into custody.
Further information revealed that the children were later transferred from Ozuoba Police Station to the CP Monitoring Unit at the Old GRA Police Station, where they are now under police protection.
At the time of reporting, the police are still working to determine the identity and whereabouts of the two women and the agency responsible for their arrest.
In total, 16 children, ranging in age from 5 to 16, have been rescued. Of these, nine are girls and seven are boys.
This is not the first instance of the Rivers State Police Command’s involvement in child trafficking cases.