Omotayo Adigun
The Imo State Police Command has successfully apprehended two women in Owerri while they were attempting to sell a four-year-old boy who had been kidnapped in Abuja.
The suspects, identified as Joy Ugwu, from Idah, Kogi State, and Rosella Michael, from Zamba, FCT Abuja, were intercepted during a discreet police operation on April 14, 2025. A third accomplice, believed to be a nurse, is currently at large.
The arrest and subsequent rescue of the child were disclosed by the state Police spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye, in a statement released on Thursday. According to Okoye, the suspects were apprehended in Owerri, the Imo State capital, at approximately 6:00 p.m. following an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Scorpion Unit. The attempted sale price for the kidnapped boy was reportedly ₦2.7 million.
Investigations revealed that the victim, identified as Jaffa Umar, a four-year-old Hausa speaker, was abducted in Abuja while hawking vegetables. The suspects then transported the child to Owerri, where they were in the process of negotiating his sale when law enforcement intervened.
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The arrests were a result of collaborative efforts between the Imo State Police Command and Zone 7 Police Headquarters, Abuja. The arrested suspects have since been transferred to the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja for further investigation and prosecution.
DSP Okoye confirmed that the rescued child, Jaffa Umar, has been safely reunited with his family through the coordinated efforts of the Imo State Police Command and Zone 7 Police Headquarters, Abuja. The police are actively pursuing the third suspect, the nurse believed to be involved in the child trafficking operation.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, has reassured the public of the Command’s unwavering commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals, particularly children, and dismantling criminal networks involved in human trafficking.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station or through the police emergency line: 0803 477 3600.