The Anambra State Police Command has rescued a one-week-old baby girl and arrested four women in connection with an alleged case of conspiracy and child trafficking in Ifite-Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area.
The police said the operation, carried out in the early hours of October 28, followed credible intelligence that led the police to a location identified as Mama Maternity, where the illicit transaction reportedly took place.
Those arrested include all female suspects: Elizabeth Okafor, 62, Esther Nweke, 48, Ngozi Maanfa, 45, and Peace Elijah Moses, 25, alleged to have been involved in the illegal purchase of the newborn.
According to preliminary investigations, the women conspired to buy the baby girl, barely a week old, for N1.7m, after paying an advance sum of N350,000 to the child’s biological mother, identified as Peace Moses, who was also apprehended.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the arrest, stating that the baby has been rescued and placed under protective care.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Gender Unit, Awka, for discreet investigation and prosecution,” Ikenga said.
He added that the CP reaffirmed the Command’s “unwavering commitment to protecting children and sustaining the fight against all forms of human trafficking across the state.”
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