The police in Abia State, South-east Nigeria, say they have arrested a couple for alleged child trafficking in the state.
The police spokesperson in the state, Maureen Chinaka, said in a statement on Monday that 12 children were rescued from the couple.
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She identified the couple as Sunday Emebo, 49, and wife, Blessing, 42.
The police mentioned the names of the rescued children, but PREMIUM TIMES could not publish them because they are all minors.
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How they were arrested
Mrs Chinaka, a deputy superintendent of police, said detectives from Abia State Police Command arrested the couple following a tip-off at about 11:45 p.m. on 19 May.
The police spokesperson said the couple was arrested for allegedly operating an unregistered motherless babies’ home in their apartment at Ikot Ekpene Road in Aba.
She said the 12 children rescued from the couple were between six months and 14 years old and hail from different villages in Arochukwu, a local government in Abia State.
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“The rescued children have been safely handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs for custody. Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing.
“The suspects are currently being interrogated at the state Criminal Investigation Department, Umuahia and will soon be arraigned in court at the conclusion of investigation,” she said.
Mrs Chinaka assured that the state police command was committed to fighting crime in the state and appealed to parents, guardians, and all Nigerians to be security-conscious and ensure the safety of their children.
Prohibited in Nigeria
Nigeria in 2015 enacted the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act which outlawed all acts of human trafficking in the country.
READ ALSO: Abia governorship ruling: Police step up security as state remains calm
The Act prescribes a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of N1 million for the trafficking of children, depending on the purpose of such trafficking.
Several persons have been convicted of child trafficking across the country.
The Kano State High Court, in July 2021, sentenced a man, Paul Owne, to 91 years in prison for kidnapping and trafficking of children in the state for sale in Onitsha, Anambra State.
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, River State, in 2019, sentenced three persons to 12 years imprisonment for trafficking a two-year-old child and one other child.
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