Police Recover Three-Year-Old Girl After Apprentice Sells Her, Flees Anambra
The Anambra State Police Command has recovered a three-year-old girl allegedly abducted and sold by an apprentice who worked in the victim’s household, following an intelligence-driven search across multiple communities.
Police said the child, taken from Atani in Ogbaru Local Government Area, was rescued in Nnobi, Idemili South LGA, after the suspected trafficker, identified as Chioma Anioma, fled to Calabar, Cross River State, to avoid arrest.
Investigators believe she sold the child to an associate who is still at large.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday, saying operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, recovered the girl in the early hours of Friday and reunited her with her parents.
Ikenga stated: “The Anambra State Police Command wishes to inform the public that operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, successfully recovered a stolen three-year-old girl following a case transferred from Ogbaru Division, Atani, involving conspiracy, child stealing, and harbouring.
“The operatives rescued the child at Nnobi, Idemili South LGA, and have since reunited her with her parents.
“Preliminary investigations revealed the child was stolen by Miss Chioma Anioma, an apprentice in the victim’s family. Upon realising police were closing in, the suspect fled to Calabar after selling the child to another suspect who remains at large.
“To evade further police pursuit, Chioma abandoned the child at Nnobi before alerting the parents to her location.”
Ikenga added that efforts were underway to track down all members of the trafficking network linked to the case.
Police records show this marks the second major child-theft breakthrough in two weeks. Earlier, on November 10, the Command announced the rescue of a three-year-old boy and the arrest of six suspects allegedly running a trafficking ring across Anambra, Enugu, and Lagos.
Investigators commenced the case in September and arrested the principal suspect, Samuel Ibe, whose confession led to the arrest of his mother, Agatha Ejeweh, and younger brother, Ejeweh Chigozie Chidera.
