The Anambra State Police Command has announced the rescue of a six-year-old boy who was allegedly stolen and trafficked to Ondo State.
In a statement released in Awka on Monday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the rescue followed an intelligence-led investigation into a case of conspiracy, child theft, and human trafficking initially reported at the Okpoko Police Station. The child, he noted, was recovered from a suspected foster guardian and has since been reunited with his biological mother.
“All the arrested suspects have been arraigned before the Children, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence Court for proper prosecution,” Ikenga said.
The police further disclosed that on August 13, 2025, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad in Awkuzu intervened in a case of defilement in Ebenebe community, Awka North LGA, where an 18-year-old man, identified as Uchenna Nweke, allegedly forced himself on an 11-year-old girl while she was taking her bath. A medical report, according to police, confirmed the assault, and the suspect is expected to be charged in court on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to safeguarding children and other vulnerable groups, stressing that perpetrators of such crimes will be made to face justice.
These incidents highlight the rising cases of child trafficking and sexual violence in Anambra. In July, police in Onitsha arrested a 45-year-old man for allegedly defiling his 10-year-old stepdaughter. In June, two toddlers were rescued from a suspected trafficking ring in Nkpor, Idemili North, while in April, a newborn abducted from a maternity hospital in Nnewi was traced and recovered in Imo State.
Reports of sexual abuse have also been on the rise. In May, a teacher in Aguata was brought before the Children, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence Court for allegedly molesting two of his pupils.
Civil society organisations continue to urge law enforcement agencies to intensify their crackdown on trafficking networks and expand community-based systems to protect children.
