Ebonyi: Police smash child-trafficking syndicate, recover 3 abducted children

The Ebonyi state Police command has smashed a suspected child-trafficking syndicate operating across Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers states, arresting several suspects and recovering three abducted children.

The command, in a statement signed by its Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Joshua Ukandu, Thursday  said the breakthrough followed months of investigation into cases of child abduction and unlawful transfer of children to prospective adopters.

The statement said the police received a complaint in May 2026 from Mrs. Ngwe Ukamaka, who alleged that her two children, a five-month-old boy and an 11-year-old girl, were abducted after she was deceived under the guise of marriage.

The command said the woman was taken to Awgu, Enugu state, to meet her purported in-laws, where she was asked to go and do her hair, while her children were allegedly taken away.

It stated that on August 14, 2026, operatives arrested four suspects identified as Agu Okechukwu, Ndidi Kenneth Nwanga, Ugonma Igwe and Alagba Chinyere, following a separate attempt to abduct a child.

The statement said one of the suspects, Agu, allegedly lured Mrs. Oluchi Onah to Enugu under the guise of securing employment for her, before separating her from her two-year-old child.

“Following the arrest of the suspects, discreet and painstaking investigation led operatives to trace and recover Mrs. Oluchi Onah’s child, who has since been reunited with the family,” the command said.

It stated that a three-year-old child was recovered during the operation, adding that preliminary investigation indicated that the child had allegedly been sold by Nwanyi Okigwe to Mmekadinma for N2.5 million.