The Imo State Police Command has arrested a 42-year-old suspected child trafficker and rescued 12 children believed to have been stolen.

In a statement released yesterday in Owerri, the command’s spokesman, DSP Henry Okoye, revealed that the suspect, a woman from Umudim Ohekelem in Ngor-Okpala Local Council, was apprehended on June 20 during a stop-and-search operation along the Owerri-Aba Express Road. “The arrest of the suspect led to the uncovering of a disturbing child-trafficking network that specialised in exploiting minors for street begging in Aba, Abia State,” Okoye said.

He explained that upon her arrest, the suspect was found with several children whose condition raised suspicions, prompting the referral of the case to the IGP X-Squad Unit for further investigation.

During interrogation, the suspect confessed to trafficking children from Ngor-Okpala to Aba, where they were forced into street begging. She also claimed that proceeds from their activities were sent to a motherless babies’ home in Okenyi, Eche Local Council, Rivers State, where she was allegedly employed.

Okoye disclosed that the 12 rescued children, aged between five and 13, are from various communities in Ngor-Okpala Local Council.

“Currently, the children are in safe custody, and efforts are ongoing in collaboration with relevant agencies to identify and reunite them with their biological families,” he added.

The state Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, condemned all forms of child trafficking and warned that anyone involved in such acts would face the full wrath of the law.

Danjuma also reassured the public of the command’s commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of every child in the state.