Imo Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicates, Rescue Two Children
By Kelechi Ugo
In a major breakthrough in the fight against child trafficking, the Imo State Police Command has dismantled two separate child trafficking syndicates, arresting key suspects and rescuing two children in the process.
According to a statement released by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Okoye Henry, the arrests followed proactive operations carried out by police operatives across multiple states.
On August 12, 2025, officers on routine stop-and-search duties along the Owerri–Port Harcourt Road intercepted a couple—46-year-old Ngozi Ezekwere from Enugu State and her 43-year-old husband, Monday Atodo, from Kogi State—who were found with a four-year-old boy identified only as Isaiah. The couple falsely claimed the child was theirs, but further interrogation revealed he had been stolen in Kogi State by one Blessing Ogwo and handed over to Ngozi in Abuja for trafficking purposes.
Police investigations later led to the arrest of the alleged mastermind, 56-year-old Ogochukwu Chikwelu, who operates St. Theresa’s Orphanage in Lokogoma, Abuja. Chikwelu was apprehended in Abuja through a coordinated operation involving the State CID and has since been transferred to Owerri for further investigation and prosecution.
Efforts are currently underway to locate the child’s biological parents, and authorities are appealing to the public for any information that could assist in reuniting the boy with his family. Police have also launched a manhunt for other syndicate members still at large.
In a separate operation carried out on July 16, 2025, the Command arrested 29-year-old Precious Okoh from Enugu State at the Umuguma Housing Area in Owerri. She was found with a 9-year-old girl, Promise Christopher, who had been abducted from Igbogene in Bayelsa State and brought to Imo for illegal sale. The child has since been safely returned to her parents in Bayelsa.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, praised the operatives for their professionalism and pledged the Command’s continued commitment to tackling child trafficking and protecting vulnerable persons. He also called on the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with the police by providing useful information to aid ongoing investigations.
