The Anambra State Police Command has rescued a three-year-old girl allegedly stolen by an apprentice in her family’s home, following a coordinated intelligence-led operation across multiple local government areas.
The child, taken from Atani in Ogbaru Local Government Area, was recovered in Nnobi, Idemili South LGA, after the suspect, identified as Chioma Anioma, reportedly sold her and fled to Calabar, Cross River State, in a bid to escape arrest.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Saturday.
According to Ikenga, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, traced the child to Nnobi in the early hours of Friday after a case of conspiracy, child theft and illegal harbouring was transferred from the Ogbaru Division.
“The operatives rescued the child at Nnobi and have since reunited her with her parents,” Ikenga said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Chioma, an apprentice living with the victim’s family, abducted the child before selling her to another suspect who is currently on the run.
Realising that police were closing in, she abandoned the girl in Nnobi and anonymously alerted the parents to her whereabouts.
Ikenga added that intensive efforts were ongoing to track down all individuals connected to what appears to be a child-trafficking network.
Saturday’s rescue comes barely weeks after the command burst another trafficking syndicate. On November 10, PUNCH Online reported that police rescued a three-year-old boy and arrested six suspects involved in child theft operations spanning Anambra, Enugu, and Lagos states.
The crackdown followed the arrest of the prime suspect, Samuel Ibe, whose confession led detectives to his mother, Agatha Ejeweh (35), and younger brother, Ejeweh Chigozie Chidera (15), among others.