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The Anambra State Police Command has arrested six suspects in a major operation targeting child trafficking, child labour, street hawking, and other forms of child exploitation. The suspects were apprehended after a raid on a suspected trafficking network in Nnewi carried out in collaboration with the Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
According to police spokesman SP Tochukwu Ikenga, authorities received a total of 35 individuals aged between six and 44 years from the Ministry of Women Affairs. Among them were 29 rescued children and young persons believed to have been victims of exploitation, alongside six suspects identified as Anyingo Glory, Nwafor Godwin, Chukwudi Ofoke, Chinenye Anyingo, Okwudili Ifeoma, and Moses Anyingo. The suspects have been handed over to the police for profiling, identification, and further investigation.
Police said the exercise is aimed at determining the circumstances surrounding the victims’ exploitation and facilitating reunification with their families and states of origin where necessary. The operation forms part of broader efforts by the state government and security agencies to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable children from abuse, neglect, and criminal exploitation.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Ikioye Orutugu, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting children and other vulnerable persons. He warned that anyone found engaging in child trafficking, child labour, or related offences would be investigated and prosecuted. The police also urged parents, guardians, and members of the public to report cases of child abuse, trafficking, or exploitation through the appropriate channels.
