The Ondo State Police Command has successfully rescued a four-year-old girl who was allegedly sold for ₦3.7 million by a cross-state child trafficking ring.
According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Ayanlade Olayinka, the rescue marks a significant breakthrough in the ongoing crackdown on human trafficking networks operating across Ondo, Delta, and Anambra States.
The case began when Sunday Kingsley, a resident of Alagbaka Extension in Akure, reported the disappearance of his daughter, Jesinta, who went missing while under the care of her mother, Sunday Happiness.
Initial investigations led to the arrest and arraignment of some suspects before a Family Magistrate Court.
Although those suspects were later granted bail, the child remained missing.
The turning point came when Kingsley spotted a child resembling Jesinta in Asaba, Delta State.
He alerted the authorities, and detectives from the Gender Desk Team of the Ondo Police Command acted swiftly, recovering the child and reuniting her with her family.
During the operation, the police arrested Amaka Chukwuemeka, 30, who allegedly confessed to buying the child for ₦3.7 million.
She reportedly provided investigators with key information about other members of the trafficking network and claimed the child came with forged adoption documents.
Subsequent arrests were made, exposing what authorities described as a “well-coordinated trafficking syndicate” operating across state lines.
SP Olayinka assured the public that investigations are still ongoing to identify and prosecute all individuals involved, including those responsible for producing falsified legal documents.
“Ondo State cannot and will not be a safe haven for child traffickers or any criminal syndicate,” Olayinka stated.
