Anambra Police Bust Syndicate: Three Women Held Over N2m Child Sale

Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have successfully apprehended three women suspected of belonging to a child trafficking network. The suspects are accused of selling a four-year-old boy for a sum of N2 million. According to SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the command's spokesperson, who released a statement on Sunday, July 12, 2026, the arrests were carried out by officers from the Awada Divisional Headquarters at a motor park located in Onitsha.

Ikenga further elaborated that Florence Nnakuzie, Hannah Ugah, and Chinasa Daniel are believed to be part of a criminal organisation involved in the illicit trade of children, selling them off for different amounts. The police spokesperson also revealed that the alleged traffickers had previously sold a two-week-old infant to another female individual, who remains at large. The operation led to the rescue of several children, and law enforcement agencies are actively working to apprehend other individuals connected to the syndicate.

The official statement detailed the breakthrough, stating, "The Anambra State Police Command on the evening of 11th of July 2026 has recorded another major breakthrough in its sustained fight against child trafficking with the arrest of three female suspects, Florence Nnakuzie, 45 years, Hannah Ugah, 52 years and Chinasa Daniel, 27 years in a motor park at Onitsha by Police Operatives attached to Awada Divisional Headquarters."

Initial investigations indicate that Chinasa Daniel reportedly delivered two children—a two-week-old infant and a four-year-old—to Hannah Ugah on two distinct occasions between June and December 2025. Chinasa reportedly confessed that the four-year-old was then transferred to Florence Nnakuzie and subsequently sold for the sum of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000). The two-week-old baby, she added, was allegedly sold to another woman who is currently evading arrest.

In response to these developments, Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, fwc, mnips, PhD, condemned child trafficking as a severe breach of human rights and a heinous crime against humanity. He has mandated the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Awka for a thorough and confidential inquiry. Commissioner Orutugu further instructed officers to redouble their efforts in identifying and arresting all individuals involved in the trafficking ring. He also called for coordinated actions to find, rescue, and reunite the trafficked children with their biological families. The Command expressed gratitude, stating, "The Command appreciates members of the public whose timely and credible information led to the successful operation and urges residents to continue supporting the Police with useful intelligence."