The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Imo State has taken into custody a 52-year-old man, Tochukwu Ogaranya, along with five pregnant women, aged between 25 and 33, for alleged involvement in child trafficking. The command also reported the rescue of five newborn babies during the operation.
NSCDC Commandant in Imo, Basil Igwebueze, disclosed this on Saturday in Owerri while briefing journalists on the corps’ recent operations. He said that the suspects, including an alleged accomplice, Godwin Nnamdi, 47, were apprehended at an orphanage where the illicit activities were allegedly taking place.
According to Igwebueze, one of his officers noticed a pregnant teenager attempting to flee the orphanage located in the World Bank area of Owerri, the state capital.
“This prompted my officers to move into action at the orphanage, arrest the owner of the orphanage and rescue the pregnant women and newborn babies,” he said.
Describing child trafficking as a “heinous crime,” Igwebueze appealed to residents to report suspicious activities. He advised the public to “say something, when they see something” and take urgent steps to alert security agencies.
“If the residents of the state had not assisted us with the necessary information, the command would not have uncovered such a criminal act,” he said.
The orphanage owner, Ogaranya, denied any wrongdoing, insisting that her facility is certified and operates legally. She explained that a 33-year-old woman, identified only as Chiamaka, had arrived at the orphanage while pregnant after fleeing the man who impregnated her in Abia State.
Ogaranya said she contacted the police, who promised to accompany Chiamaka to Abia to apprehend the man. She added that she was later informed by her staff that Chiamaka “scaled the fence of the compound and was later caught by the local vigilantes.”
Chiamaka, from Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, recounted that someone she could barely identify introduced her to the orphanage, telling her she could deliver her baby there and later sell it. She said she became uneasy with the arrangement and “scaled the fence and ran away for her dear life.”
Igwebueze confirmed that the suspects will be arraigned for prosecution as investigations continue.
The NSCDC reiterated its commitment to tackling child trafficking and called on the public to continue supporting security agencies with timely information.
