The Imo State Police Command has successfully uncovered a child trafficking ring along the Owerri-Aba Expressway, rescuing 12 children who had been stolen and exploited for street begging.
State Police spokesperson Henry Okoye revealed that the rescue was carried out after receiving an intelligence tip-off. Investigations showed that the trafficked children were being forced into begging on the streets.
On June 20, 2025, during a stop-and-search operation, the police arrested 42-year-old Ann Ngozi Enyenwa from Umudim Ohekelem in Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area. The operation led to the recovery of twelve children whose poor physical conditions raised immediate concern.
“This arrest uncovered a disturbing child trafficking network that trafficked minors from Imo to Aba, Abia State, where they were forced to beg,” Okoye said. The case has since been handed over to the IGP X-Squad Unit for further investigation.
During questioning, Enyenwa admitted to trafficking the children from Ngor-Okpala to Aba and forcing them into street begging. She also alleged that the money earned was sent to Shalom Motherless Babies Home in Okenyi, Eche LGA, Rivers State, where she claimed to be employed.
The rescued children, aged between 5 and 13 years, are currently in police custody as investigations continue.
Okoye appealed to the public to help identify any of the children or provide information about their families to aid the ongoing probe.
