Child Trafficking Bust: Police Arrest Two, Rescue Victims in Rivers State
The Rivers State Police Command has dismantled a child trafficking syndicate, arresting two female suspects and rescuing two children in the Chokocho area of Etche Local Government Area. The suspects, identified as Ugochukwu Onyebuchi and Ogechi Nmezi, allegedly defrauded two women under the pretense of facilitating child adoptions.
The victims, Gift Chimanu and Hope Onyebuchi, were deceived into giving up their children—two-month-old Evidence Olomachukwu Chimanu and one-year-old Chukwuemeka Kingsley, respectively. The suspects were apprehended at a checkpoint in Chokocho, where investigations revealed their collaboration with members of a local vigilante group, the Onelga Security Planning and Advisory Committee (OSPAC), in perpetrating the crime
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the scheme. The rescued children have been reunited with their families, and efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate, including the implicated OSPAC operatives. The Rivers State Police Command has reiterated its commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals and eradicating child trafficking in the state.