The Anambra State Police Command has arrested three women over their alleged involvement in child trafficking and launched a manhunt for other members of the syndicate, including suspected buyers of the trafficked children.
The suspects, identified as Florence Nnakuzie, 45; Hannah Ugah, 52; and Chinasa Daniel, 27, were arrested on Saturday by operatives attached to the Awada Divisional Police Headquarters at a motor park in Onitsha.
The command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said preliminary investigations revealed that Chinasa allegedly brought a two-week-old baby and a four-year-old child to Hannah Ugah on separate occasions between June and December 2025.
According to the police, further investigations showed that the four-year-old child was allegedly handed over to Florence Nnakuzie and sold for ₦2 million, while the two-week-old baby was allegedly sold to another woman who is currently at large.
The Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, described child trafficking as a grave violation of human rights and a crime against humanity.
He directed the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka for a comprehensive investigation and ordered detectives to intensify efforts to arrest other members of the trafficking network.
The police commissioner also directed operatives to commence coordinated operations to locate, rescue and reunite the trafficked children with their biological families.
While commending members of the public for providing intelligence that led to the arrests, Orutugu urged residents to continue supplying credible information to assist the police in tackling child trafficking and other crimes across the state.
