By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has recorded another breakthrough in its sustained crackdown on child trafficking, arresting three women allegedly linked to a child trafficking syndicate operating in the state, while also launching a manhunt for other fleeing members of the network and intensifying efforts to rescue the trafficked children.
The suspects, identified as Florence Nnakuzie, 45; Hannah Ugah, 52; and Chinasa Daniel, 27, were arrested on Saturday evening by operatives attached to the Awada Divisional Headquarters during an operation at a motor park in Onitsha.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Sunday, preliminary investigations revealed that one of the suspects, Chinasa Daniel, allegedly brought two children (comprising a two-week-old baby and a four-year-old child) on separate occasions between June and December 2025, and handed them over to another suspect, Hannah Ugah.
SP Ikenga further disclosed that investigations showed how the four-year-old child was subsequently handed over to Florence Nnakuzie and allegedly sold for the sum of ₦2 million.
He added that the two-week-old baby was allegedly sold to another woman who is currently on the run, while efforts were underway to identify and apprehend her alongside other members of the suspected trafficking syndicate.
He said while reacting to the latest breakthrough and describing child trafficking as a grave violation of human rights and a crime against humanity, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, for a comprehensive and discreet investigation.
The police commissioner also directed operatives to intensify efforts to identify and arrest every member of the syndicate, while commencing coordinated operations to locate, rescue and reunite the trafficked children with their biological families.
According to the police spokesperson, the Commissioner reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to dismantling child trafficking networks and ensuring that all those involved are brought to justice.
He also appreciated members of the public whose timely and credible information aided the successful operation, urging residents to continue supporting the Police with useful intelligence capable of preventing crime and protecting vulnerable members of society.
The latest arrests come amid sustained efforts by the Anambra State Police Command to curb child trafficking, child exploitation and other offences against children across the state, with the Command repeatedly assuring that perpetrators would face the full weight of the law.
