The Anambra State Police Command has detained three women suspected of involvement in a child trafficking network that allegedly sold a four-year-old boy for N2 million.
The suspects — Florence Nnakuzie, 45; Hannah Ugah, 52; and Chinasa Daniel, 27 — were arrested by officers from the Awada Divisional Headquarters during an operation at a motor park in Onitsha.
Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the women were allegedly part of a syndicate involved in trafficking children and handing them over to buyers in exchange for money.
He said the arrest followed a raid on the group’s hideouts on Saturday evening, adding that some members of the syndicate escaped while several children were rescued.
According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that Daniel allegedly supplied two children — a two-week-old baby and a four-year-old child — on separate occasions between June and December 2025, before handing them over to Ugah.
The statement noted that the four-year-old boy was later transferred to Nnakuzie, who allegedly sold the child for N2 million, while the newborn was reportedly sold to another woman who is currently at large.
The state Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, described child trafficking as a serious violation of human rights and ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka for a thorough investigation.
The police commissioner also directed operatives to intensify efforts to arrest other members of the alleged trafficking syndicate and ensure that rescued children are reunited with their families.
The command commended members of the public for providing information that led to the operation and urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with credible intelligence.