The Imo State Police Command on Thursday announced the arrest of 2 female suspects allegedly involved in a child trafficking operation, in which they attempted to sell a 4-year-old boy, Jaffa Umar, for ₦2.7 million.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Henry Okoye, disclosed this to journalists in Owerri. The suspects were identified as Joy Ugwu, from Idah, Kogi State, and Rosella Michael, from Zamba, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. A third accomplice, said to be a nurse, remains at large.
According to the police, the child was abducted from Abuja, where he had been hawking vegetables, and was transported to Owerri, Imo State, by the suspects.
In a detailed account, the police 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 and Rosella Michael—in Owerri on April 14, 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 had transported him to Owerri and were in the process of negotiating a sale for ₦2.7 million before their arrest. A third accomplice, believed to be a nurse, is currently at large.” (Vanguard)