A major child trafficking ring was busted in Aba, Abia State, after the Police Command arrested a couple, Sunday Emebo and Blessing Emebo, who were allegedly operating an illegal baby home from their apartment on Ikot Ekpene Road. Twelve infants, aged between six and fourteen months, were rescued during the raid.
The arrest, which took place on May 19, 2025, followed weeks of intelligence gathering by operatives of the Abia State Police Command. According to DSP Maureen Chinaka, the police spokesperson, the couple had converted part of their residential apartment into a makeshift, unregistered motherless babies home, where the children were being held without documentation or legal custody.
Preliminary findings suggest the children were abducted or trafficked from different villages within and outside Abia State. Security sources believe the operation may be part of a broader trafficking network targeting vulnerable communities across southeastern Nigeria.
Police investigators are now focused on tracing the origins of each child, amid concerns that some may have been intended for illegal adoption, labor exploitation, or worse. DSP Chinaka confirmed the suspects are currently being interrogated by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) and will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
The rescued infants have been transferred into the custody of the Abia State Ministry of Women Affairs, which has commenced medical evaluations and efforts to reunite the children with their biological families or place them in proper protective care.
The Abia State Police Command has since issued a renewed public advisory urging families and caregivers to remain vigilant and avoid leaving children with unfamiliar persons, especially in informal caregiving setups that are not licensed or monitored by social services.
Child trafficking remains one of the gravest crimes affecting Nigeria’s vulnerable populations, and this case is a stark reminder of the urgent need for stronger enforcement, public awareness, and collaboration between security agencies, communities, and child protection institutions.
