The Anambra Police Command has busted a child trafficking syndicate in Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, rescued 33 underage girls and arrested one suspect.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Awka.
“Operatives of the Anambra Police Command attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, today recorded breakthrough in an ongoing investigation involving a case of kidnapping, abduction, missing children and child trafficking.
“The operatives arrested a female suspect, one Ifeoma Anthony, 37-year-old and rescued 33 underage girls in a house at Aguleri,” he said.
Ikenga said that the feat was achieved following a distress report received through the Police Command Control Room from some victims’ relatives on how their three children were sighted at Emma Pigin Road, Aguleri.
He said that the relatives of the victims gave the names of their missing children as Divine Mbam,14, Favour Nwagu,15 and Blessing Oke, 18, who were abducted on September 26, 2025 in Ebonyi state, and taken to an unknown location.
The police spokesman said that preliminary investigations revealed that the building where the girls were kept was allegedly used for child trafficking and prostitution.
He said that the facility was owned by a woman, Mrs. Ngozi Nnanyelugo, 45-year-old, who is currently at large.
The PPRO said that efforts are ongoing to arrest the principal suspect, while investigations would continue to determine the full extent of the crime and identify other accomplices.
He said that the Command remained committed to protecting lives, especially vulnerable children, and urged members of the public to continue to provide useful information to aid ongoing investigations. (NAN)