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Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate Selling Kids to Nigerians Abroad

Police officers from Zone 2 Command, Onikan, have dismantled a child trafficking syndicate that specialized in abducting children across Nigeria and selling them both locally and to Nigerians abroad.

Eight suspected members of the syndicate, including two teachers, have been arrested, and five children have been rescued. However, identifying their biological parents remains a challenge, as some of them were stolen as infants—some as young as two weeks old.

During interrogation, some of the suspects admitted to selling children to Nigerians living in the United States and Italy. Shockingly, one of the suspects, 22-year-old Somtochukwu Onyemaechi, confessed to selling her own one-year-old son for ₦800,000, only to later discover that her relative resold the child for ₦1.5 million.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ajao Adewale briefed journalists over the weekend, explaining that the operation was based on intelligence received on January 8, 2025. Acting on this, Assistant Inspector-General of Police Fayoade Adegoke assigned the Zonal Anti-Corruption Unit, led by CSP Ngozi Braide, to crack the case.



The arrested suspects include:


  • Ibezim Chioma – supplier

  • Sunday Ochim – middleman

  • Sunday Okputu – supplier

  • Sunday Faith – seller

  • Chinaza Echelibe – caregiver

  • Ifekwuna Ngozi – buyer

  • Nwakuba Helen – caregiver

  • Bada Adeniyi – seller

The rescued children have been identified as:

  • Marvelous Obi – 1 year old

  • Promise Ifekwuna – 3 years old

  • Somtochukwu Onyemaechi – 1 year old

  • Chibuzornma Onyemaechi – 3 years old

  • Praise Chukwudi Ibezim – 6 years old



DCP Adewale detailed some of the transactions, including the case of Marvelous Obi, who was sold as a newborn to Ibezim Chioma, who then resold the baby to a couple in Italy, leaving the child in the care of the syndicate’s caregiver, Chinaza Echelibe.




Another child, three-year-old Promise Ifekwuna, was sold in 2021 by Sunday Okputu through Ibezim Chioma to a buyer named Ngozi Ifekwuna for ₦500,000.

In a particularly heartbreaking case, Somtochukwu Onyemaechi, just one year old, was sold by his own mother, Faith Sunday, in September 2024 for ₦1.5 million. The child was later found in Owerri, Imo State, under the care of Nwakuba Helen, who claimed she was just a nanny employed by her sister in California, USA.



Additionally, six-year-old Praise Chukwudi Ibezim was reportedly purchased by Chioma Ibezim for ₦800,000 when he was just a week old.



One of the suspects, the young mother who sold her son, blamed poverty for her actions. She explained, “I was not married. When I got pregnant, I couldn’t take care of my child. I asked my relative to help me find a buyer. But after selling my baby, he only gave me ₦800,000. I later found out he actually sold the baby for ₦1.5 million.”




The rescued children have been handed over to the Commissioner of Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Abubakar, who confirmed they would receive medical care and undergo a nine-stage process before being considered for adoption.


However, in the case of the child sold by his biological mother, authorities may place him with a relative who can provide proper care. If no relative comes forward within a set timeframe, the Ministry will take full custody.

The police are continuing their investigation to trace other children who may have been trafficked by the syndicate and to ensure all those involved are brought to justice.





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