Two women, including an eighty-year-old, Chidi Felicia Nwafor and Rejoice Raymond (39) have been arrested by the police in Anambra state for alleged child trafficking and torturing.
Also declared wanted is Sabina Izuorah, a staff of the Social Welfare Department of the Ihiala local government council of Anambra state for allegedly evading police arrest, child stealing, trafficking, forgery, and perjury.
The police said that the arrest of the 80 years old mother and her accomplice, who are natives of Umunya, Oyi local government council of Anambra state, followed a report to its office at the 3-3 Police station, Ezunaka by the Vigilante, about the nefarious activities of the women.
Anambra State police spokesman Haruna Mohammed stated that the suspects allegedly confined three children (2 boys and a girl) inside different rooms at No.13 Akunwanta Mbamalu Street, Federal Housing Estate, Onitsha, and subjected them to physical and emotional torture without food and inflicted several wounds on their bodies, leaving them unconscious to the point of death.
“The victims who were badly battered with lacerations all over their body – one with a broken arm, were found in the pool of their blood, rescued and rushed to the hospital for medical attention. Exhibits recovered at the scene included some fetish substances, blood stained canes, concoctions and other incriminating items,” Mohammed said
Haruna disclosed that the three children from the preliminary investigation were allegedly sold to the suspects by Sabina Izuora, whom he said “is a notorious child trafficking kingpin who has been on police wanted list for child trafficking, child stealing and forgery”
He stated that a further investigation also revealed that “the suspect was involved in unlawful adoptions, using forged police reports, forged authorization letters from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and sworn court affidavits, to sell children stolen from all parts of the country to her waiting customers, both within and outside Nigeria including a recent attempt to smuggle out two children (a boy and a girl) allegedly stolen from Niger state since 2018.”
He said that all the children recovered so far were under the protective care of the Anambra State Ministry for Social Welfare, pending when their biological parents would surface.
The police spokesman stated that investigations were ongoing and efforts intensified to apprehend other accomplices in the matter.
Haruna said that the Commissioner of Police, Monday Bala Kuryas, had enjoined Anambra people and the general public “to apprehend or report at the nearest police station, or call police emergency number 07039194332, whenever they see Mrs Sabina Izuorah ‘f’ formerly of Social welfare Dept Awka South LGA but recently transferred to Social Welfare Department Ihiala LGA presently at large and evading police arrest in connection with the offence of child stealing/ trafficking, forgery and perjury.”
