Ebonyi State Police Command smashes trafficking syndicate and recovers one child in the process

MEN of the Ebonyi State Police Command have busted a child trafficking syndicate after clamping down on a gang which stole and sold a child from its mother in the state  and sold it in neighbouring Anambra State for N355,000.

Police spokeswoman Loveth Odah, said the child was recovered in Anambra State after a painstaking investigation carried out by the command’s detectives over a month. She added that the child was stolen from the mother at a market in Ebonyi State in March before being whisked across state lines.

Ms Odah said: “On the 11th day of April, 2022, a case of stolen child was reported to the Ebonyi State Police Command by one Okeh Nkemdiri against one Uchechukwu Ebenyi aged27yrs of Amukpa Okengwu Ezilo in the Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. It was alleged that on the 21st March, 2022, at about 1200hrs she went to their local market with her four-year-old son, Okeh Makoochukwu, whom she suddenly discovered was no longer seen.

“She immediately raised the alarm in the market but all efforts to trace her son’s whereabouts proved abortive. Police detectives, on receipt of information, swung into action and arrested the suspect, Uchechukwu Ebenyi."

She said that on interrogation, Mr Ebenyi confessed to have sold the little Makoochukwu Okeh for the sum of N5,000 to one Chidiebere Ogbu, a native of Amoukpa Okeugwu Eziulo in the Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, who resides in Anambra State alongside one Ekeh Ukamaka of the same address. Ms Odah said that police detectives trailed the recipient of the stolen child to Anambra State, where he was arrested alongside two others.

Upon interrogation, Mr Ogbu confessed to have sold the child to a third party with the help of one Dr. Lambert’s wife but now at large through Nwagwu Onyeka, currently residing at the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State at the sum of N350,000. Ms Odah added that the child was further traced to one Chibuzor Azubuike who later took the detectives to Ezenwa Scholastica who the child was recovered from, on May 3.