The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four female suspects involved in a case of child trafficking and rescued a one-week-old baby girl during a raid at a maternity home in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area.
Spokesperson of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed in a statement that the operation was carried out in the early hours of Monday, October 28, 2025, by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, following credible intelligence.
The police stormed a facility identified as Mama Maternity at Ifite-Awkuzu, where the four suspects were apprehended. Those arrested are identified as Elizabeth Okafor (62), Esther Nweke (48), Ngozi Maanfa (45), and Peace Elijah Moses (25).
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects conspired to purchase the newborn baby girl for ₦1.7 million, with an initial payment of ₦350,000 allegedly made to the purported biological mother, Peace Elijah Moses.
SP Ikenga confirmed that the infant has been rescued safely and placed under protective care.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has directed the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Gender Unit, Awka, for discreet investigation and prosecution.
He reiterated the Command’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and intensifying the fight against all forms of human trafficking in Anambra State.
