The Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare and in collaboration with security operatives, has apprehended three suspected members of a human trafficking syndicate operating in Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Local Government Area.
The arrest followed a notification from the Chairman of the community, Arinzechukwu Azodo, to the State Commissioner of Women Affairs, Ify Obinabo.
Azodo explained that he was alerted by the commander of his team about suspected trafficking activities in the community. He promptly informed the commissioner, who instructed him to proceed with the assistance of security operatives to apprehend those involved.
He explained that after the arrest, they discovered the suspects were on the verge of sealing a human trafficking deal worth one million naira.
One of the suspects, Ebere from Ukpo in the same local government area, revealed that her close friend, Temple Nwankwo, approached her with the information that she had twin babies for sale, though one of the twins had already been sold.
Ebere said, “I accepted to partner with her and went further to link her up to a prospective buyer who needed a male child urgently. After the negotiation, we agreed to meet at Oye Agu to further seal the transaction but instead Temple requested an instant payment of one million naira in her account which the buyer objected to because he hasn’t seen the baby in question which brought disagreement between us before Temple changed her mind and left them.”
On her part, Temple Nwankwo, originally from Enugu State but residing in Ifitedunu, denied ever being involved in any business with Ebere. She explained that she had only reconnected with Ebere when she was four months pregnant.
In her defense, Temple claimed that it was Ebere who sought her help in obtaining a male child, as Ebere had been unable to have a child of her own.
Members of the community alleged that Temple was involved in the trafficking business with her husband, Ndubuisi, as an accomplice, noting that some of their children had not been seen for a long time.
When questioned about the whereabouts of their two children, the couple claimed the children were dead but could not provide any details about their burial locations.
At this point, the visibly distressed Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in Anambra, Ify Obinabo, handed the couple over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
Obinabo reiterated the state government’s commitment to ending trafficking within Anambra State, emphasizing that anyone caught engaging in such activities would face consequences.
The Women Affairs leader further urged the public to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activities to the ministry.
Questions concerning the deaths of the two children were left unanswered to the Commissioner’s satisfaction, as reported by Vanguard.
