A cross section of some of the human trafficking victims rescued by the Ebonyi State Police Command
Police rescue 32 human trafficking victims in Ebonyi, notifies parents of 18 unclaimed children in Command’s custody
[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]
Ebonyi Police Command says its has rescued 32 human trafficking victims in the state.
This is also as it notified parents of 18 unclaimed children said to have been rescued from human traffickers.
The Command made this known on Friday, in Abakaliki, through the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Loveth Odah, who explained that preliminary investigation revealed that a manager of a company identified as “NEO Life” was involved in the trafficking.
Odah said that preliminary investigation revealed that the children were trafficked from different parts of the country and were being used for forced labour and sexual exploitation in the name of networking/hawking of NEO Life company products.
She said the victims were being kept at their hideout in Okposi Umuaghara,Ezza South local government area of Ebonyi state.
The Police spokesman said the arrested suspects had made a useful statement to the police which led to the arrest of two of their gang members at their hideout.
Odah said, “among those arrested were one Nwagboduhu Ekene, aged 20 years; and Nwaoko Godwin,aged 24 years; and the 32 trafficked underaged children were rescued from them who are indigenes of Ebonyi,Enugu, Imo, Anambra,Akwa Ibom,Cross River,Benue,Abia and Rivers states, but one chidera Nwankwo was not among those rescued here in the state.”
According to her, police got to know about it on January 7, 2022, at about 9:30 hrs, when a case of a missing person was reported by Mrs Nwankwo Ijeoma of Uterufie village in Ebonyi local government area of Ebonyi state, who reported that her daughter Nwankwo Chidera, aged 14 years left home to an unknown destination.
“During the investigation, a company’s advertisement sheet captured “NEO Life” containing a phone number was found in the daughter’s room which was used to trace the owner of the phone number who was later identified as Christian Nwankwo who was consequently arrested,” she added.
She further explained that the suspects rented two rooms apartment at Diamond Villa Lodge adjacent to Ebonyi State University Medical Department Presco Campus which serves as a place of aboard for the victims.
According to the police, four among the rescued victims; Gloria Mbam; Emmanuel Elechi Odeh; and Chibuike Uzogo, had earlier been reported missing by their parents.
“Furthermore, the Command now has a total number of 18 unclaimed children rescued from the suspected traffickers.
To this end, the Commissioner of police in Ebonyi state, CP Aliyu Garba requested parents and members of the public whose children are missing to report at the command headquarters for identification and possible claim of their wards”, the police spokesman said.
