The Anambra State Police Command has released pictures of 18 rescued children, who were stolen from various parts of the country, and asked their parents or relations to come forward and identify them.

This is contained in a statement by Anambra police spokesman CSP Haruna Mohammed, who also announced the arrest of a notorious child trafficker in the state.

See police statement below:

ANAMBRA STATE POLICE COMMAND DIARY

CHILD TRAFFICKING KINGPIN NABBED AS GOMBE POLICE COMMAND RETURNS UNCLAIMED CHILDREN TO ANAMBRA

It will be recalled that on 22/10/2019 following an intelligence report, Police operatives attached to the Anambra State Police Command arrested three female suspects at Nkpor Market/Tarzan Junction in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State, with three children suspected to have been stolen.

Investigations revealed that the children were stolen from Gombe State by one Hauwa Usman ‘f” on the 20/10/2019 and brought to her accomplices in Anambra State. Following the Public announcement by the Command on the 27/10/2019, parents of the two kids from Gombe State came to Awka and identified their children.

Consequently, the children have since reunited with their parents and suspects were handed over to the Gombe State Police Command for discreet investigation and prosecution.

Furthermore, upon interrogation by the police in Gombe State, suspects voluntarily confessed that they usually steal the children and bring to their sponsor, one Mrs Nkechi Odinye, here in Anambra State, who buys each child at the rate of between two hundred and four hundred thousand naira (#200 to 400,000), depending on their age bracket and gender.

Following voluntary confession by the suspects and while acting on a tip off, Police detectives attached to 3-3 Division, in Collaboration with Operatives attached to the Command’s Special Anti-Cult Section (SPACS), stormed the hideout of the principal suspect, one Mrs Nkechi Odinye, aged 55 years, and effected her arrest at Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The suspect had hitherto evaded arrest for over three years by changing locations until her arrest. The team equally recovered 16 other children of various age brackets, comprising ten boys and six girls, reasonably suspected to have been stolen from different parts of the country under her custody.

Both the suspect and the found children were handed over to the Gombe State Police Command where four of the children were identified and reunited with their biological parents after exhaustive investigation and forensic analysis, including DNA tests. Also one of them was handed over to the parents in Asaba, Delta State.

However, on the 18/1/2021 the Gombe State Police Command returned eleven unclaimed children comprising Seven (7) boys and four (4) girls, back to the Anambra State Command where the children were originally found.

They were subsequently handed over to the Anambra State Ministry for Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs, for safe keeping until their biological parents emerge.

Meanwhile, the Command now has a total number of 18 unclaimed children rescued from suspected child traffickers.

In view of the foregoing, members of the public are kindly requested by the Commissioner of Police John B Abang to disseminate this message through their mediums to enable the biological parents or close relatives identify these children whose photographs appear hereunder to claim them.

Anyone with useful information about the found children should report at Area Command Onitsha, 3-3 Divisional Police Station, Nkwelle Ezunaka, or contact the PPRO, Anambra State Police Command, through GSM no 08060970639, please.