By Ekene Okafor
The Anambra State Police Command has busted a child trafficking syndicate, rescuing 10 malnourished children and arresting three suspects, including a fake medical doctor.
According to the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, the police operatives attached to 3-3 Divisional Headquarters made the arrests on February 15, 2025, following an intelligence-led investigation. The suspects, identified as Mr. Odinakachukwu Okorie, Ifunanya Ogbonna, and a fake medical doctor, Mr. Daniel Ikebuilo, were caught with 10 children in an apartment in Inland Town, Onitsha.
The police had been monitoring Okorie after receiving reports of a missing six-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl in the neighborhood. During interrogation, Okorie mentioned Ogbonna as part of the child-stealing syndicate, leading to her arrest and the rescue of the two missing children.
Further investigation revealed that Ogbonna had sold one of the children to Ikebuilo for N1 million. The police also rescued eight other children from an apartment in Inland Town, Onitsha.
CP Orutugu has called on families whose children are missing to come forward for identification and collection of their children. He also sought the help of the Anambra State Government for custody, medical attention, and care to help the children recover from the ordeal.
