By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against child trafficking, following the arrest of a female suspect and the rescue of no fewer than thirty-three underage girls in Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area of the state.
According to a press statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the operation was carried out by officers attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, on January 7, 2026, as part of an ongoing investigation involving cases of kidnapping, abduction, missing children and child trafficking.
The police Spokesperson disclosed that the operatives arrested one Ifeoma Success Anthony, a 37-year-old female suspect, during the operation, while thirty-three underage girls were rescued from a house located at Emma Pigin Road, Aguleri.
SP Ikenga explained that the breakthrough followed a distress report received by the Command’s Control Room from relatives of three missing children who were allegedly abducted on September 26, 2025, from Ebonyi State. The missing children were identified as Divine Mbam (14 years), Nwagu Favour (15 years) and Oke Blessing (18 years), all females.
According to the police, intelligence gathered revealed that the abducted girls were sighted at the Aguleri location, prompting the swift deployment of operatives to the area, which eventually led to the arrest of the suspect and the rescue of the victims.
Preliminary investigations, as stated by the PPRO, revealed that the building where the girls were rescued is allegedly being used for child trafficking and prostitution. The property is said to be owned by one Mrs. Ngozi Nnanyelugo, a 45-year-old female, who is currently on the run.
The Command further disclosed that efforts are ongoing to arrest the principal suspect, while investigations continue to unravel the full extent of the alleged criminal activities and identify other accomplices involved in the syndicate.
SP Ikenga reaffirmed the Anambra State Police Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, especially vulnerable children, and urged members of the public to continue providing credible and timely information that would assist ongoing investigations.
He assured that further developments in the case would be communicated as investigations progress.
