Police operatives in Onitsha, Anambra State, have rescued 18 malnourished children believed to be victims of child trafficking from two locations within the city.
Acting on intelligence-led investigations, officers from the 3-3 Divisional Headquarters uncovered ten children in an apartment in Inland Town and eight others at a second location.
Three suspects—Odinakachukwu Okorie, Ifunanya Ogbonna, and Daniel Ikebuilo, a fake medical doctor—have been arrested.
According to Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, the operation followed reports of two missing children, leading to Okorie’s arrest. Further investigations exposed a trafficking syndicate, with Ogbonna admitting to selling a five-year-old girl for ₦1 million to Ikebuilo.
The rescued children are now under the care of the Divine Mercy Orphanage in Awka, with support from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.
CP Orutugu emphasized the role of community-police collaboration in tackling child trafficking and urged families of missing children to contact the Anambra State Police Command for possible reunification.
