Police arrest 63-year-old woman for child trafficking in Anambra

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 63-year-old woman, Ngozi Muotuanya, over alleged involvement in inter-state child trafficking.

Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said in a statement on Wednesday that operatives attached to the Oba Division apprehended the suspect on August 11 following credible intelligence.

According to preliminary investigations, Muotuanya allegedly stole a one-year-old boy in Minna, Niger State, in 2024 and sold him to an unsuspecting buyer in Anambra.

The child was later resold to another person, who, upon discovering the child had been stolen, returned him to the suspect on August 4.

Ikenga said the suspect then allegedly abandoned the boy at an unidentified church in Minna, where he was rescued by the leader of the Igbo community in the area.

The Anambra Police Command has shared details about the boy’s temporary custodian with the Niger State Police Command to aid in his recovery and possible reunification with his parents.

Muotuanya will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Awka for further investigation and prosecution.