Police Apprehend Couple for Alleged Trafficking of One-Month-Old Infant in Anambra

The Anambra State Police Command has successfully apprehended a couple suspected of trafficking a one-month-old baby in Onitsha. According to Tochukwu Ikenga, the state police spokesperson, the arrest took place at Bridgehead in Onitsha on December 17.

The couple, who were traveling in a luxury bus owned by a well-known transport company, came under scrutiny when an observant passenger noticed that the purported mother was unable to breastfeed the infant. Acting swiftly, the concerned individual promptly reported the suspicious behavior to the police.

“The couple were traveling in a luxury bus belonging to a popular transport company with the baby when a co-passenger observed that the mother could not breastfeed the baby despite its cry for food in the course of the journey,” stated Ikenga in an official statement released on Monday.

Upon receiving the information, the Anambra police, in collaboration with the control room hotline in Awka, intercepted the identified luxury bus later in the evening. The couple and the infant were subsequently brought in for questioning, during which they allegedly confessed to purchasing the child from its mother in Ajah, Lagos, for the sum of N30,000.

Aderemi Adeoye, the Commissioner of Police in the state, commended the vigilant citizens for providing crucial information that led to the rescue of the child. Adeoye has directed that the baby be handed over to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation and prosecution.

In addition, the police spokesperson mentioned that the infant has been entrusted to the Ministry of Women Affairs to ensure proper care and well-being. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of public cooperation in combating crimes against vulnerable individuals.