11 Children Rescued as Police Dismantle Child Trafficking Syndicate in Anambra
The Anambra State Police Command, in collaboration with operatives from the Adamawa State Police Command, uncovered and dismantled an interstate child trafficking syndicate on July 15, 2025.
Acting on intelligence, the police raided a location in Uruagu, Nnewi North Local Government Area, where they arrested a key suspect, Uche Okoye, aged 43.
In the process, 11 children, five boys and six girls, aged between three and six years, were rescued. Investigations revealed the children had been abducted from Adamawa State and were being sold to unsuspecting individuals seeking to adopt, with each boy priced at ₦1.5 million and each girl at ₦800,000.
The rescued children were handed over to the Adamawa police team, who are working to reunite them with their biological families. Authorities believe the suspect is part of a wider trafficking network, and further arrests are expected as investigations continue.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, commended the professionalism of the operatives and issued a warning to prospective adoptive parents to follow proper legal channels when seeking to adopt children. He stressed that unlawful adoptions not only break the law but also inflict serious harm on vulnerable children.
This case highlights violations of child’s rights to identity and protection from trafficking. By being abducted, stripped of their familial ties, these children were denied the right to know their origins and to grow up within the safety of their families.
