18 malnourished children rescued from suspected traffickers in Onitsha

Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Obono Itam

18 malnourished children rescued from suspected traffickers in Onitsha

Police operatives from the 3-3 Divisional Headquarters in Onitsha have rescued 18 malnourished children believed to be victims of trafficking at two different locations within the city. Ten children were rescued from an apartment in Inland Town, Onitsha, while the remaining eight were found in another apartment in the same area.

The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, visited the Divine Mercy Orphanage in Umuopku, Awka, where the children are currently being kept. During a briefing at the police headquarters in Awka, CP Orutugu explained that the operation was based on intelligence-led information and investigation, which led to the arrest of three suspects: Mr. Odinakachukwu Okorie, Ifunanya Ogbonna, and Mr. Daniel Ikebuilo, a fake medical doctor.

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The police had been monitoring Odinakachukwu Okorie after receiving a report on July 28, 2024, about a missing six-year-old boy in the neighborhood. After receiving a second complaint on February 13, 2025, about a missing five-year-old girl, operatives gathered enough evidence to arrest Odinakachukwu Okorie. During interrogation, Okorie implicated Ifunanya Ogbonna as part of the child trafficking syndicate. Further investigations led to the discovery of both missing children and the arrest of Mr. Daniel Ikebuilo.

It was revealed that Ifunanya Ogbonna had planned to flee with the five-year-old girl to Abuja, but before this could happen, both suspects confessed. Ifunanya Ogbonna admitted to selling the child for One Million Naira (₦1,000,000) to Mr. Daniel Ikebuilo, the fake doctor.

The Commissioner of Police stated that the command had sought the assistance of the Anambra State Government, particularly through the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, to provide custody, medical attention, and care to help the children recover from their traumatic ordeal.

“This success underscores the importance of community-police collaboration and intelligence gathering in the fight against child trafficking,” CP Orutugu said. He also called on anyone who may have lost a child to come to the Anambra State Police Command for possible reunification.