The Abia State Police Command has rescued 18 children and arrested 10 suspects in a major crackdown on a child-stealing syndicate operating in Aba and its environs.
Police spokesperson DSP Maureen Chinaka, who disclosed this in a statement on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa, said the suspects were rounded up following a complaint by a woman from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, whose two children were stolen on September 27 under the guise of marriage.
According to the command, the suspects include Mrs. Best Ndubusi, 41; Charles Enyinnaya, 25; Eunice Ezekiel, 35; Nnena Kalu, 60; Gideon Esther, 25; Obiegbunam Von, 65; Ezeoma Rejoice, 21; Ngozi Owoh, 20; Favour Ernest, 22; and Brittney Oyemuwa Zion, 22 — all residents of Aba and nearby communities.
Acting on credible intelligence, police operatives stormed two separate residences between October 8 and 10, where the stolen infants and children were kept. Eight infants and ten other minors were rescued during the coordinated raids.
The police explained that the operation began after the complainant reported that a man who lured her to Aba with a promise of marriage disappeared with her two children.
Subsequent investigations led officers to two hideouts; one within Aba and another along the Aba/Owerri Road, where the suspects were arrested and the victims freed.
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Commissioner Isa reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to combating child trafficking and other crimes across the state.
He urged residents, especially parents and guardians, to remain vigilant, supervise their children closely, and report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.
He also called on anyone searching for missing children to visit the Gender Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Umuahia for identification and further investigation.