Two ladies were detained by the Imo State Police command while trying to sell a four-year-old boy who had been abducted in Owerri for ₦2.7 million.
Before their luck ran out, the boy was taken from his vegetable stall in Abuja and taken to Owerri to be sold.
Joy Ugwu from Idah, Kogi State, and Rosella Michael from Zamba, Abuja, are the suspects; the third, a nurse, is presently at large.
In a statement issued on Thursday, DSP Henry Okoye, the spokesperson for the state police, revealed this.
According to Okoye, the suspects were apprehended on April 14 in Owerri, the state capital, after a covert operation by agents attempting to sell the youngster for ₦2.7 million.
He said the arrests were made following joint efforts between the Imo State Police Command and Zone 7 Police Headquarters, Abuja, though the suspects have been transferred to the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, for further investigation and prosecution.
Okoye said, “The Imo State Police Command has uncovered a suspected case of child trafficking, leading to the arrest of two female suspects and the rescue of a four-year-old boy. Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Scorpion Unit intercepted the suspects—Joy Ugwu from Idah, Kogi State, and Rosella Michael of Zamba, FCT Abuja—in Owerri on 14th April 2025 at about 6:00 p.m., following a discreet operation.
“Investigations revealed that the boy, Jaffa Umar, who speaks Hausa fluently, was abducted in Abuja while hawking vegetables. The suspects brought him to Owerri and were negotiating to sell him for ₦2.7 million before their arrest. A third accomplice, believed to be a nurse, is currently at large.
“The child has been safely reunited with his family through coordinated efforts between the Imo State Police Command and Zone 7 Police Headquarters, Abuja while the suspects have been transferred to the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja for further investigation and prosecution”.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, reassures the public of the Command’s commitment to protecting vulnerable persons and dismantling trafficking networks. He encourages residents to report suspicious activity to the nearest police station or via the emergency line 0803 477 3600,” Okoye said.
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