The police in Imo State, South-east Nigeria, have arrested two suspected human traffickers in the state.
Henry Okoye, the police spokesperson in the state, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
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Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, said the two suspects were involved in separate child trafficking cases in the state.
The child trafficking cases
Mr Okoye said, in one of the operations on 12 August, police operatives intercepted a couple with a four-year-old boy identified as Isaiah along the Owerri–Port Harcourt Road in the state.
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The police spokesperson said the couple – Ngozi Ezekwere, 46, and Monday Atodo, 43 – were resident in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
He said the couple was intercepted and arrested during a police routine stop and search operation along the Owerri – Port Harcourt Road in Imo State.
Mr Okoye said Mrs Ezekwere hails from Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State while Mr Atodo comes from Ofu Local Government area of Kogi State, Nigeria’s North-central.
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“They (couple) were found with a four-year-old boy, Isaiah (surname unknown), whom they falsely claimed was their biological child.
“Interrogation revealed that the child was stolen in Kogi State by one Blessing Ogwo and handed over in Abuja to Ngozi, whose role was to deliver trafficked children to buyers,” Mr Okoye said.
The spokesperson said further investigation uncovered the syndicate’s mastermind, 56-year-old Ogochukwu Chikwelu, an indigene Nimo in Anambra State, but resident of Abuja.
He said the suspect operates St. Theresa’s Orphanage at Apo Street, Lokogoma in Abuja
“She was tracked, arrested in Abuja through a joint operation with the State CID, and transferred to Owerri for further investigation and prosecution,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the rescued child is safe, and efforts are ongoing to reunite him with his biological parents.”
Mr Okoye said the police in the state have appealed to Imo State residents to support the police with useful information to assist in reuniting the rescued victim to the family.
“The Command is also intensifying efforts to apprehend other members of the syndicate still at large,” he stated.
Arrest of another suspected child trafficker
Mr Okoye said, in another operation on 16 August, police operatives arrested another suspected child trafficker, Precious Okoh, 29, with a 9-year-old girl (name withheld).
The police spokesperson said the suspect hails from Nkanu-East Local Government Area of Imo State, but was arrested at Umuguma Housing Area, Owerri, the state capital.
“She (the suspect) confessed that the child was stolen from Igbogene, Bayelsa State, and brought to Owerri for sale. The operatives traced the parents to Bayelsa, and the child has since been reunited with her parents,” he stated.
Mr Okoye said the Commissioner of Police in Imo State Command, Aboki Danjuma, commended the operatives for their professionalism.
Mr Danjuma reaffirmed the commitment of the police in the state to eradicating child trafficking.
The police chief urged Nigerians to be vigilant, provide useful information, and partner the police in protecting children and other vulnerable persons in the country.
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.
The Act prescribes imprisonment of not less than five years or a fine of not less than N1 million or both as general punishment for human trafficking.
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However, the Act also prescribes imprisonment of not less than seven years or a fine of not less than N1 million or both as punishment for child 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 a combined 12 years imprisonment for trafficking a two-year-old male child and one other child.
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