The Imo State Police Command has successfully arrested two individuals involved in separate child trafficking cases, while also rejecting a ₦1 million bribe intended to obstruct justice.
DSP Henry Okoye, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, emphasizing the police’s unwavering commitment to combating child trafficking in the state.
According to the report, on February 4, 2025, detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department apprehended Confidence Odoh (32), a resident of Umuanyo Eziobodo, Owerri West LGA. She was found guilty of abducting her former neighbor’s three-year-old son, Nzubechi Udodiri, on February 1, 2025, while he played near their residence. Thankfully, the child was rescued and safely reunited with his parents.
In a separate development on February 21, 2025, police operatives conducting a routine stop-and-search along the Owerri-Aba Expressway intercepted Eze Chika (45), from Obiokwara Umualoma, Ideato North LGA, who was traveling with a child suspected to have been stolen. Initially, she falsely claimed to be the child’s mother but later confessed to purchasing the child from a trafficking syndicate in Aba for ₦1.8 million.
In a bid to avoid arrest, Chika attempted to bribe the officers with ₦1 million, but they refused and proceeded with her lawful detention. The rescued child is now in safe custody, while efforts are ongoing to trace the biological parents and dismantle the syndicate behind the crime.
DSP Okoye reaffirmed the police’s dedication to eradicating child trafficking and ensuring justice is served. He urged residents, especially parents, to remain vigilant, monitor their children closely, and report any suspicious activities to law enforcement authorities.
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